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

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

About the Production:

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

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

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

*Denotes SGT Ensemble Member  ⁺Denotes SGT Artistic Associate

Vladimir

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Artists:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Shattered Globe Theatre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shattered Globe Theatre's 2026/27 Season includes:

October 2 – November 14, 2026

Vladimir – Midwest Premiere!

By Erika Sheffer

Directed by Ensemble Member Lou Contey

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

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

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

January 22 – February 27, 2027

The Waterfall – Midwest Premiere!

By Phanésia Pharel

Directed by Jasmine B. Gunter

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

April 16 – May 29, 2027

Brace Brace

By Oli Forsyth

Directed by Elizabeth Margolius

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Shattered Globe Theatre

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

Shattered Globe’s world premiere of the delightful comedy “Eelpout!” delivers its punches with deceivingly understated skillfulness. Written by Paul W. Kruse, who calls it a fantasia, it is beautifully conceived and directed for the stage at Theater Wit by Jeremy Ohringer, whose “A Devil Comes To Town” at Trap Door has made me a big fan of his stage work.

“Eelpout!” examines the less frequently visited territory of the emotional relationship between two men in this tale of a stag party set in an ice fishing hut in Minnesota. We meet Ole Olsen (Carl Hallberg is terrific)—soon to marry Lena (Lydia Moss’s brief appearance is a knockout)—as he and his best buddy Sven Svensen (Jeff Rodriguez in a nuanced performance) trek across the frozen water in the pre-dawn darkness aiming to fish and drink.

Gradually we gather that Ole is more vested in the manly pursuits like ice fishing, while Sven is a more sensitive reflective soul. Their overlap, the safe area in which male intimacy is expressed, is in spectator sports, and chugging booze. Ritualistic beer and shots action is called upon whenever the conversation veers toward honest male intimacy. Likewise for a terse memetic conversation, almost totemic in its value and repeated throughout the play by multiple characters, runs like this:

You catch that game yesterday?
Nail biter.
Sure was.
Down to the buzzer.

These devices substitute for emotional connection, or defer it, for the men.

As the play opens on icy Lake Mille Lac (a real place), Sven pauses to take in the magnificent starry night and beckons Ole to join him and drink in the beauty. The language they have to express their feelings is terse, constrained by male convention, and even more so by their monosyllabic vernacular, which the playwright wields with amazing versatility. (There is a plethora of unusual nouns that I had to Google, only to find that they are real words, at least in Minnesota.)

SVEN: Ole. Just look!
OLE: Oh
SVEN: Worth it.
OLE: How about that.
SVEN: Prettiest right before the sun comes up.
Ole: Yessir

Sven tells Ole, “You ever think about how looking at the milky way is looking sideways through a pancake of stars?” Perhaps touched by the moment, Ole is moved to share a confidence with Sven: that he and Lena will name their first born after him. Now Ole is disappointed that Sven is less than enthusiastic. "You're supposed to be happy,” complains Ole. Sven deflects. “I wanna fish,” But their true feelings spill out in the course of the play, when Sven predicts to Ole that after he is married to Lena, their friendship will suffer and their offspring will take centerstage.

This conversation comes soon after Sven has an accidental dunk into a frigid spear fishing hole during the starlit walk. There he meets the magical Eelpout (Jesús Barajas is absolutely enchanting), a sentient fish in glistening red sequined body stocking. Eelpout engages Sven, nibbling at him in magical fish-like exploration. Barajas is so good in his role, both fishlike, and an alien personality almost from another dimension. It’s a remarkable performance, so good that even one of his stylish exits earned applause!

I suspect the playwright has given us an altogether new personality type - vaguely, a bit Sheldon Cooper-ish from Big Bang theory, maybe Jake Gyllenhaal in "Buzz Saw," with that dash of a very restrained yet overtly gay sensibility. Eelpout as a type seems a rare but familiar character in real life, but I don’t think I’ve seen it on a stage or film.

A third-wheel character arrives in the shape of Lars (Dina Berkeley) with gender bending affect - just one of the guys, but there’s just something you can’t put your finger on. Lars is a well-intentioned dolt and a schmuck, and also affords the playwright an opportunity to caricature the ungainly social behavior of the male suffering deep-seated insecurity and feelings of inadequacy.

In addition to the fantasia style of this play, conjuring visions of great bodies of swirling, writhing, spawning aggregations of fish, the playwright also incorporates classically funny physical comedy and comedy of errors skits: Ole and Sven in skivvies under a blanket, warding off hypothermia and trying unsuccessfully not to get hard; a mistaken identity in which not one, but two stag party strippers (Taigé Lauren as Heidi and Rebecca Jordan as Holly) appear in the ice hut to shock and humorous surprise. It’s a lot of fun.

Particularly notable are the production values, which use very little to great effect. Kudos to Delena Bradley (costume designer), Sierra Walker (lighting designer), Saskia Bakker (props designer), and particularly Eleanor Kahn (set) for the ice house and platform.

All’s well that ends well in a play like this. “Eelpout!” is a precise evocation of the many styles and languages of the varieties of love that dare not speak their name, or perhaps, may not even have a name. Highly recommended, Shattered Globe’s “Eelpout!” runs through May 30, 2026 at Theater Wit in Chicago.

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

Kirsten Greenidge’s Morning, Noon & Night, currently receiving its Midwestern premiere at Shattered Globe Theatre, is an ambitious, mind-bending exploration of the “new normal” in post-pandemic America. Greenidge, a playwright unafraid of tonal hybridity, situates her story at the uneasy intersection of middle-class and magical realism. Under AmBer Montgomery’s direction, the production attempts to navigate the landscape of family connection, digital surveillance, and the psychic fragmentation wrought by living life through digital screens.

The play unfolds over the course of a single day in the life of Mia, a work-from-home mother teetering on the edge of burnout. Kristin E. Ellis anchors the production with a performance that captures both the brittle humor and simmering desperation of a woman expected to hold everything together. Her Mia is perpetually toggling—between Zoom meetings and grocery lists, between maternal patience and private panic. Ellis embodies the quiet terror of a generation of women asked to endure the unendurable with a smile.

Opposite her, Emefa Dzodzomenyo gives Dailyn a restless, electric presence. As the hyper-aware Gen Z daughter oscillating between existential dread and a yearning for authentic connection, Dzodzomenyo resists caricature. Her Dailyn is sharp, wounded, and achingly perceptive—someone who has inherited not only climate anxiety and algorithmic pressure but also the emotional residue of her mother’s exhaustion.

The supporting cast deepens the sense of a household under strain. Christina Gorman’s Heather, Mia’s friend and confidant, functions as both comic relief and quiet warning sign—her lingering pandemic anxieties and conspiratorial asides suggest how prolonged fear can harden into identity. Hannah Antman and Soren Jimmie Williams lend a jittery immediacy to Nat and Chloe, capturing the skittish vulnerability of teens shaped by social media’s relentless gaze. That said, both performers read slightly younger than I imagined the characters to be, which subtly shifts the dynamic; their portrayals emphasize innocence and volatility over the more self-aware cynicism often associated with girls of that age.

The production’s most striking presence is Leslie Ann Sheppard as Miss Candice, a “Donna Reed  - Father Knows Best” AI-generated avatar of curated perfection who steps out of the algorithm and into the family’s living room. Sheppard’s performance is chilling in its serenity. With a voice that soothes and a gaze that scans, Miss Candice represents not simply technology but the seductive promise of optimized living—an influencer deity promising order amid chaos. Her presence pushes the play from realism into something more speculative, even dystopian.

Jackie Fox’s set and lighting design effectively ground the story in its post-pandemic malaise. The living room, cluttered yet aspirational, feels very lived-in and slightly unraveling. The use of projections is particularly striking; at times the audience feels as though it is peering through a phone screen. Notifications flicker, curated images intrude, and the boundary between the digital and the tangible dissolves. The design serves as a digital mirror—reflecting how social media refracts reality rather than simply documenting it.

Yet for all its thematic ambition, the production occasionally exposes a disconnect between script and staging. Greenidge clearly has much to say about female rage, consumerism, intergenerational trauma, and the violence of constant connectivity. However, Montgomery’s direction seems to engage these ideas primarily at a surface level, with moments of genuine thematic revelation passing too quickly to fully resonate. The result can feel unintentionally algorithmic—significant insights obscured beneath repetitive beats.

Moreover, despite the performances and the evocative design, the stakes never quite rise to meet the play’s expansive conceptual ambitions. Whether this disconnect stems from the script, or the direction is difficult to determine, but the result is the same: the looming threat of digital colonization and familial fracture hover suggestively rather than landing with decisive impact. The danger feels atmospheric instead of urgent, diffuse rather than devastating.

Morning, Noon & Night offers a portrait of contemporary anxiety, capturing the low-grade dread of a culture caught between the longing for authentic connections and the seductive pull of curated isolation. Like the screens it interrogates, the play pulses and glitches—at times mesmerizing, at times disquieting—but always insistently present, morning, noon & night.

RECOMMENDED

When: through March 28th

Where: Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Running Time: 90 minutes no intermission

Tickets:  $20  -  $60

773-770-0333

www.sgtheatre.org/season-35/morning-noon-night

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

What a treat to have two of Evanston-native Sarah Ruhl’s plays running concurrently at Theatre Wit. Alongside the Shattered Globe Theatre’s Midwest premier of Ruhl’s Becky Nurse of Salem is Remy Bumppo’s production of Dear Elizabeth. Directed by Christina Casano, this epistolary play has all the elements that make Ruhl’s plays so enjoyable.

Dear Elizabeth is an intimate play that explores the letters between two of the world’s most celebrated poets: Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop. Ruhl crafts a tender narrative out of the beautifully written letters, and it’s wonderfully acted by Christopher Sheard and Leah Karpel.

Sarah Ruhl is one of America’s most popular playwrights because of her unique brand of quirky storytelling. Through her inventive style audiences who may not be familiar with the poets will walk away with more than just a book report. Though, this play will certainly tickle classic literature enthusiasts. The 90-minute play is crackling with trivia and humorous hot takes.

The dialogue in Dear Elizabeth may be contained to letters, but the contents of those letters whisk audiences all over the world. Both poets did extensive traveling during their careers, with Elizabeth Bishop residing in Brazil for some years. Through their words we get rich descriptions of where these characters are in their lives physically but more importantly emotionally. Though the romantic throughline is a bit mirky (as is often the case in life), the deep love between them is palpable.

Staging and visuals are important aspects of Ruhl’s work. Seeing how she sees her story, and seeing how a director and set designer interprets her vision are as moving as the words themselves. Catalina Niño’s design for Dear Elizabeth is nothing short of gorgeous. Though minimal in nature, the emotions certain moments conjure are haunting.

Dear Elizabeth is also a celebration of the art of letter writing. This is a theme Ruhl has touched on in other works as well. We may be living in the most advanced age of communication, but so much is lost in emojis and brief text messages. In these heartfelt letters there’s such depth and substance that you’re nearly envious of their loyal friendship.

If it’s Sarah Ruhl you’re after this season, look no further than Theatre Wit in Lakeview. Two of Chicago’s most esteemed companies impeccably bring her riveting works to life. Dear Elizabeth is a great showcase of Ruhl’s earlier style whereas Becky Nurse of Salem feels more like a new direction. And just like Robert and Elizabeth, they’re great companions.

Through November 17 at Remy Bumppo at Theater Wit. 1229 W Belmont Ave. (773) 975-8150
 

History is often said to be written by the victors, and few events illustrate this more clearly than the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Arthur Miller gave the historic event a new life in his 1953 allegorical play ‘The Crucible’. However, playwright Sarah Ruhl was piqued when she heard a story about Miller’s real inspiration for writing his classic play about neighborly betrayal. ‘Becky Nurse of Salem’ is Ruhl’s modern, humorous twist on the Salem Witch Trials.

Sarah Ruhl is one of the most popular American playwrights today. She has a knack for warmhearted, thought-provoking fantasies that showcase her highly creative storytelling approach. There’s no question ‘Becky Nurse’ has signature Sarah Ruhl elements, but in many ways this play is a departure–it’s angry.

Written during the Trump era, inspired by the eerie echoes of “Lock her up! Lock her up!”, ‘Becky Nurse of Salem’ is a bit of a blender of themes on modern American life. Becky is an unhappy 63-year-old woman giving tours of a dusty Salem Witch Trial museum. She’s a descendent of the real Rebecca Nurse who was executed during the Salem Witch Trials and to keep herself entertained; she tells tour groups “the real story” until her uptight boss lets her go. She’s also caring for her troubled granddaughter after her mother dies of an overdose. Becky is very lonely and takes comfort in opiods.

While this may not sound like the makings of a comedy, Ruhl’s play finds relatability in Becky Nurse. Afterall, who among us isn’t angry? Who isn’t outraged by the fact that over 300 years later, we haven’t fully learned the lessons of the Salem Witch Trials? Becky Nurse, is like all of us, flawed, and often unlovable but with her heart in the right place.

Shattered Globe Theatre brings ‘Becky Nurse of Salem’ to the Midwest after a 2022 Off-Broadway production. Directed by Ruhl’s longtime friend and collaborator, Polly Noonan, this revival feels like love is sewn into every hem. Leading the ensemble cast is Linda Reiter as Becky. Her performance fully embodies what it means to just be tired of the B.S. Her spiritual awakening is all the more earned by the play’s conclusion. And what’s a witch play without a little magic? SGT ensemble member Rebecca Jordan brings lightness to the darkness of the play with her rubbery affects and far out delivery as a real-life witch. Her scenes with Linda Reiter are some of the most fun to watch.

While watching ‘Becky Nurse of Salem’ there really does seem like a lot going on, but it’s after the play that you’ll realize how masterfully Sarah Ruhl intertwines so many hot button issues. This is Ruhl’s most serious work, and it also feels like her most urgent. Just like Arthur Miller, Ruhl bends the history of the Salem Witch Trials to serve her dire warning, and just like ‘The Crucible’ is an exciting exploration of where we’ve come from and where we’re going. Unlike Miller though, Ruhl leaves us with optimism.

Through November 16 at Shattered Globe Theatre. 1229 W Belmont Ave. 773-975-8150

Shattered Globe did its dramaturgy research very well, in bringing us the Chicago premiere of “Flood,” Mashuq Mushtaq Deen’s very funny, very fresh and highly relevant script. And boy does he have a gift for dialog. It is good, complex, and funny, and charged with barrels of meaning below that surface. “Flood” reminded me for all the world of Harold Pinter or Caryl Churchill's ominous, absurdist theater works, with a quality that is very much in a league with these revered masters.

Though Deen says he eschews television, and writes for the stage, “Flood” opens with a vintage musical fanfare drawn right out of 1960s television programs.
As the lights come up we see a living room setting in classic mid century modern style - very nicely done by Lauren Nichols, set design - with late middle-aged Darren (H.B. Ward), pudgy and rotund, at his work table, wearing safety glasses and a strange mask as he assembles a wood craft project. Each piece is selected and put in place with elaborate arm flourishes, letting us know Darren is at work on an effort of the utmost importance.

His wife Edith (Linda Reiter) enters stage left, bearing a teapot, and standing silently many minutes, lest, we suspect, she break Darren's concentration. The dramatic tension delivered in this silent scene is considerable. Reiter and Ward deliver consummate performances that are the essence of what skillful acting is all about.

Eventually Edith withdraws, returning sometime later, again with a teapot. This time Daren notices her, and a conversation ensues, both innocent and frought. It sounds like any couple jousting: Darren accuses Edith of hiding from him, which she denies, noting that she is manifestly available, but that he just doesn’t notice her.

In the conversation, playwright Deen gradually increases the underlying tension in the scene, and their lives overall come into stark relief. We learn that they plan to share tea together, which Edith ardently wishes for, but Darren (H.B. Ward) says this can only happen in the future, when he finishes the great work in which he is involved at the table.

At this moment, the conversation has leapt into another dimension, as Edith queries when he will be finished.
“Add that to the book of unanswerable questions,” Darren says.
To which Edith replies, “You like me because I ask you unanswerable questions.”

Edith's pressure for Darren to finish and share tea with her elicits a vague indication from her husband that it will be “in the future.” Darren asks, “Would you deny me my dreams?” to which Edith asks, profoundly, “When will the future come?”

We eventually hear a discussion of the sex “in a parking lot” that led to their children, and later, we meet these children: Darren Junior (Carl Collins) and Edith Junior (Sarah Patin) who speak to their parents from their apartment by phone. The generational divide is expressed here, with trenchant relevance: the children are complaining of their suffering from the effects of the environmental crisis (flooding), while their parents live in a dream loop of denial, Edith all the while encouraging her offspring to look on the bright side of things. It's a conversation for the ages, and of the moment being replayed across America continuously.

“Flood” is both humorous, and a remarkable snapshot of intergenerational dynamics. And the play is mysterious as well. An intensely engaging 90 minutes perfectly cast and directed by Kenneth Prestininzi, who directed the world premiere in Kansas City as well. "Flood" runs through March 9 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.  

Arthur Miller’s perennial classic, ‘A View from the Bridge’, is revived in a faithful production at Shattered Globe Theater. Under the direction of Lou Contey, a cast of familiar Shattered Globe ensemble and a few new faces bring this powder keg of a tale to their stage for the first time since the 1990s.

Every few years, a landmark production of ‘A View from the Bridge’ comes—Chicagoans will remember Ivo Van Hove’s arresting production imported by Goodman in 2017. However, if that’s the only version you’ve seen, you owe it to yourself to see it staged in the way Arthur Miller intended.

Though it wasn’t exactly a smash hit when it debuted on Broadway in 1955, it was through subsequent rewrites and notable revivals that ‘A View from the Bridge’ became nearly as popular as more seminal Miller works like ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Death of a Salesman.’ Perhaps it’s produced so often because its themes surrounding immigration and prejudice remain relevant.

‘A View from the Bridge’ is about a longshoreman, Eddie Carbone (Scott Aiello), and his wife Beatrice (Eileen Niccolai), and their adopted niece Catherine (Isabelle Muthiah). Life is great for the working-class Brooklyn family until their distant relatives from Italy come to stay with them illegally. When a relationship starts to bud between immigrant Rodolpho (Harrison Weger) and Catherine, Eddie’s inappropriate affection for his niece is called into question.

This play has always been a star-turning vehicle for actresses playing Catherine. Scarlett Johanson and Brittany Murphy both took home Tonys for the role. However, Shattered Globe ensemble member Eileen Niccolai’s compelling performance as Beatrice brings the part of the pseudo-cuckolded wife into sharper focus. Niccolai’s Beatrice is vulnerable and needy; she knows her husband isn’t perfect, but he’s all she’s got. Ultimately, she’s the victim of this tragic story. There’s something so fragile about Niccolai’s interpretation.

Inventive staging by Shayna Patel puts the play in a set that looks like a boxing ring. It's a fitting locale for a play so centered around violence. The narrator is a lawyer and interjects an almost inhuman sense of foreboding doom about the Carbones throughout the play. In his view, and perhaps Miller’s greater view, society is so dysfunctional that it leads the lower classes to duke it out at the bottom. Unlike ‘The Crucible,’ Miller points out that having your name respected in the street is just machismo, especially when you’re not respectable.

Themes of toxic masculinity, immigration reform and family abuse are sadly more relevant now than in the 1950s, and the enduring popularity of ‘View from the Bridge’ should inspire activism.

Shattered Globe is one of Chicago’s best and longest-running storefront theatres and it’s easy to see why. Their briskly paced production of ‘A View From the Bridge’ is wonderfully acted, beautifully staged and very traditional. If you like classic American plays, this is the one to see.

Through October 21 at Shattered Globe Theatre at Theater Wit. 1229 W Belmont, Chicago IL 60657 | 773-975-8150

With the homecoming and family-visit season safely in the rear-view, Shattered Globe presents a new play by Rachel Bonds about the places we come from. “Five Mile Lake” is directed by Cody Estle, his first production with the company.

Bonds writes about a feeling that many city transplants can relate to all too well. “I can’t believe I managed to spend 18 years there,” she says of her small hometown in the stage notes. Though Bonds seems to have escaped small town life at a young age, her script is not a snobby look down her nose at small town America, in fact, it’s almost the opposite. There’s a longing for a perceived simplicity in this play. The irony is that no matter where you live, complexity is unavoidable.

‘Five Mile Lake’ is about five characters in a town outside Scranton, at the edge a frozen lake. The symbolism is not lost. Local coffee shop coworkers Mary (Daniela Colucci) and Jamie (Steve Peebles) live fairly uneventful lives until Jamie’s older brother returns with a new girlfriend and an open-ended visit.

In many ways, this is a retelling of Chekhov’s masterpiece ‘Uncle Vanya’. Mary and Jamie seem to toil endlessly in their dismal lives. Jamie works on a lake house his brother Rufus (Joseph Wiens) and girlfriend Peta (Aila Peck) are suddenly interested in when their impressive city-life turns to shambles. Mary is bogged down by a shell-shocked brother Danny (Drew Schad), all the while dreaming of a life outside Five Mile Lake. Between these desires for other circumstances are subtle, but wholly palpable, moments of truth.

Shattered Globe is an ensemble theater and most of their productions feature familiar faces. The result is a sense of intimacy between actors that translates to an audience. There’s a naturalistic cadence to Rachel Bonds’ dialogue too. Sometimes inside-jokes or silliness between characters seems contrived on stage. Whenever Daniela Colucci is in a scene, you feel like you’ve known her all your life. There’s something really authentic going on here. Estle gets great performances out of even the smallest, non-verbal moments of the play. A scene in which Rufus and Mary’s older brother Danny run into each other after years of estrangement is so fraught that just a searching look from Drew Schad is enough to break your heart.

“Five Mile Lake” is a prime example of why you should see new work. Sometimes it’s a gamble, but other times in the middle of an ordinary Sunday you find yourself completely invested in the problems fictional characters. You take them with you, because they are you.

Through February 24th at Shattered Globe Theatre. Theater Wit. 773-975-8150