Displaying items by tag: Reading

Midsommer Flight will for the third year present a one-night-only staged reading of a play from the EXPAND THE CANON list, which now includes 52 plays by historic women and gender expansive playwrights. Midsommer Flight's selection for 2026 will be ADELINDA, an irreverent class comedy written in 1796 by the 18th century master of dialogue, Hannah Brand. The willful and rebellious Adelinda is set to marry the wealthy Count D'Olstain – much to her weary parents' relief. The only problem – Adelinda is already secretly married to a servant! Schemes and mistaken identities abound, lost children are returned, and some snooty parents get a rightful scolding in this comical and quippy caper about the lengths we go to for a happily ever after. 

Brand was an English actress, playwright, and poet who published a book of poetry and plays in 1798, including ADELINDA, which seems not to have been performed in her lifetime. Though her work was tragically overlooked in her time, she is considered by many modern historians as a pioneering figure in eighteenth century drama. ADELINDA will be performed on SEPTEMBER 14, 2026, 7:30 pm, at The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St. Tickets are pay-what-you-can (suggested price - $25.00) and space may be reserved at https://www.midsommerflight.com.

Midsommer Flight Artistic Ensemble Member Joshua Pennington will direct a cast to be led by Ahlora Victoria in the title role, with Alexander Garza as her wealthy betrothed, the Count D'Olstain. The Count's parents will be played by Barry Irving* as the Marquis D'Olstain and Hannah Mary Simpson as the Marchioness D'Olstain. The man to whom Adelinda is secretly married, Strasbourg, will be played by Brandon Beach. The cast will also include Koshie Mills* (Zella), Brynley Halverson (Dorcas) and Siyi Wang (Flora).

Midsommer Flight is thrilled to again partner with the EXPAND THE CANON program, an annual list of plays by historic women and people of underrepresented genders. EXPAND THE CANON not only celebrates these classic plays but also offers a call to action to produce them. Now in its seventh year, the 2026 EXPAND THE CANON list includes classic plays by women that are long overdue for recognition. https://www.expandthecanon.com/.

LISTING INFORMATION

ADELINDA
By Hannah Brand, written in 1796
Directed by Midsommer Flight Ensemble Member Joshua Pennington
One night only staged reading
September 14, 2026
7:30 PM
The Understudy, 5531 N Clark St, Chicago
Pay-What-You-Can (Suggested Price - $25.00)
More information and reservations at https://www.midsommerflight.com
 
The willful and rebellious Adelinda is set to marry the wealthy Count D'Olstain – much to her weary parents' relief. The only problem – Adelinda is already secretly married to a servant! Schemes and mistaken identities abound, lost children are returned, and some snooty parents get a rightful scolding in this comical and quippy caper about the lengths we go to for a happily ever after.
 
Hannah Brand (1754-1821) was an English actress, playwright, and poet. She began her career running a prestigious girls' school with her sister, but by her late 30s, had decided to leave teaching and pursue a life in the theater. She published a book of poetry and plays in 1798, including ADELINDA, which seems not to have been performed in her lifetime. In 1794, Brand retired from the stage and returned to the world of education, working as governess. Though her work was tragically overlooked in her time, she is considered by many modern historians as a pioneering figure in eighteenth century drama.
 
Expand the Canon celebrates classic plays by women and underrepresented genders – and is a call to action to produce them. Our mission is to amplify the voices of historic women and underrepresented writers who have always deserved a place in the theatrical canon, creating a legacy of storytelling with gender equity at its core. We're changing the narrative by pushing for their work on stages, in classrooms, and in the hearts of audiences. By partnering with theaters, advocacy groups, and educators, we're creating space for their stories today — and inspiring the storytellers of tomorrow. Our 52 carefully curated titles are timely, relevant, and producible. Featured plays span 1600-1990, 16 countries, 11 languages of origin, cast sizes ranging from 1 to 25+, many styles and topics... but all are excellent. Plays on the Expand the Canon lists have since been seen at major companies like Roundabout Theatre, Repertorio Español, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, Island Shakespeare Festival, The Stratford Festival, Classic Stage Company, and Theatre for a New Audience. The lists have helped shape curricula of universities across the country. Additionally, Expand the Canon has grown their research database to 9,000+ historic plays by women and gender-expansive writers. To access 52 classic plays, playwright bios, summaries, pitches, producing information, podcast episodes, & more, visit expandthecanon.com.
 
ABOUT MIDSOMMER FLIGHT. Midsommer Flight is a theatre company dedicated to presenting high quality, accessible productions of Shakespeare's plays in Chicago communities. After the company's well-received inaugural production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in 2012, the Chicago City Council honored Midsommer Flight with a resolution praising "the Midsommer Flight theater troupe on their dedication to bringing the arts to underserved communities."  The company incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois in early 2013 and has produced ROMEO AND JULIET (2013, 2024), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (2014), MACBETH (2015), TWELFTH NIGHT (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) AS YOU LIKE IT (2016), HAMLET (2017), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (2018), THE TEMPEST (2019), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (2012 AND 2022), CYMBELINE (2023), LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (2025), and AS YOU LIKE IT (2026). The company was nominated in 2019 for the third time for the League of Chicago Theatres "Emerging Theatre Award."

Successful storytelling – the kind that makes you laugh, cry, feel empathy, and, most importantly, inspires you to get involved in making change – is difficult to pull off in any medium. Despite this, advocate, content creator, and now New York Times No. 1 bestselling author Isabel Klee has somehow managed to do it in several ways: through social media, writing, and now live and in person.

Organized by one of Chicago’s most beloved independent bookstores, The Book Cellar, and hosted offsite at Everybody’s Coffee, Klee stopped by on her book tour for her new memoir, Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About. The evening felt less like a formal author talk and more like the world’s most wholesome and energizing girls’ night… hosted by an independent bookstore! What could be better?

The event – moderated by Klee’s longtime friend and fellow New York-based (and Chicago-native!) activist and content creator Maddie Guy – was designed for both longtime followers of hers on social media and those new to Klee’s work. Attendees received a signed copy of the book upon arrival, and the discussion largely avoided spoiler-heavy deep dives in favor of broader conversations about the themes behind the book. That choice made the evening feel especially accessible, creating the rare book-tour stop that worked equally well for devoted fans and curious first-timers.

What makes Klee such a compelling speaker is the same quality that has made her social media presence so successful: radical candor. Throughout the discussion, she spoke openly about removing shame and stigma from animal welfare conversations, particularly around pet surrender and irresponsible ownership. Rather than encouraging online pile-ons or moral superiority, Klee advocated for education, transparency, and compassion – arguing that, once a mistake is made, fear of judgment often prevents people from making better decisions for the animals involved.

Some of the evening’s most fascinating moments came from unexpected discussions about the memoir-writing process itself. Klee spoke about everything from balancing honesty with privacy to the surprisingly complex legal realities of writing nonfiction about real people. It was a reminder that the event was not simply promotional, but genuinely conversational – the kind of discussion where tangents often became the most memorable parts.

The audience Q&A only reinforced the warmth of the evening. Questions ranged wildly from ethical fostering advice to designing a Bravo-themed Mount Rushmore to naming beagles recently rescued from research labs, but somehow every tangent perfectly contributed to the messy, funny, compassionate humanity of the evening.

One of the audience questions Klee was asked, and said that she often receives, is what advice she would give to people considering fostering, and her answer was refreshingly simple: stop saying “I could never” before you’ve tried just once. Klee discussed the joys of watching a dog learn to be a dog – watching a senior dog play with toys for the first time or seeing a shutdown puppy go from terrified to begging for cheese. There is so much joy to gain from helping not one, but many animals find their forever homes, and, although saying goodbye can hurt, as Klee says, “fostering dogs is the most positive, fun addiction. You won’t want to stop!”

Though Klee’s appearance was a one-night event, Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About is out now and available for purchase at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square.

The Book Cellar continues to host the kind of thoughtful, community-driven programming that reminds audiences why independent bookstores matter. Whether through author discussions, book clubs, or writing events, spaces like this create something increasingly rare: genuine connection between strangers who showed up simply wanting to hear a good story.