Lookingglass Theatre Company continues its tradition of staging visually inventive and thought-provoking world premieres with its latest production, Untitled Vampire Play. Written by Lookingglass Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas - who has previously crafted well-received work for the company, including Thaddeus and Slocum: A Vaudeville Adventure - this comedy-drama uses supernatural…
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Theatre in Review
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Friday, 19 June 2026 10:25
Tom Stoppard’s epic finale Leopoldstadt is an instant classic at Writers Theatre
Written by John Accrocco
What would you do if you found out your heritage wasn’t what you thought it was? In Tom Stoppard’s case, he wrote a sweeping, epic play about it. Glencoe’s Writers Theatre brings Leopoldstadt to the Chicago area for the first time since its West End and Broadway runs in the…
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Theatre in Review
Sunday, 14 June 2026 15:55
PlayMakers Laboratory Celebrates That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday August 23 – September 6, 2026
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Join the fun this summer as PlayMakers Laboratory (PML) celebrates a major milestone at That's Weird, Grandma's 25th Birthday, marking a quarter century of the company's long-running original sketch comedy show. Directed by Program Director Brandon Cloyd, the family-friendly comedy extravaganza will play five performances only August 23 – September 6, 2026 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in…
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Upcoming Theatre
Thursday, 18 June 2026 13:24
Nunsense, Not Quite Immaculate - But Blessed With a Strong Cast
Written by Angelo Campos
Following its recent winter production of Sister Act, Drury Lane Theatre returns to the convent with Nunsense, a light-hearted musical comedy which, as the title implies, is a lot of nonsense. The premise is funny, albeit morbid. After an unfortunate mishap, 52 members of the Little Sisters of Hoboken die…
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Theatre in Review
Wednesday, 17 June 2026 15:15
Cedric the Entertainer brings laughter, life lessons to Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, one-night-only, Saturday, August 8
Written by Buzz Center Stage
You know him from “The Neighborhood,” “The Last O.G.,” “The Proud Family” and much more. Don’t miss your chance to catch Cedric the Entertainer live on tour, one-night-only, in his only Chicago-area stop, Saturday, August 8 at 8 p.m. at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. Tickets…
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Upcoming Theatre
Tuesday, 16 June 2026 15:49
Northlight Theatre to celebrate its new home in Evanston with a Grand Opening Gala "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future" Saturday, August 15, 2026
Written by Buzz Center Stage
Northlight Theatre's Board of Directors proudly presents Northlight Theatre's Grand Opening Gala, "Celebrating our Past, Building our Future," marking the culmination of the company's 50th Anniversary Season and the beginning of a new era in Evanston. The Grand Opening benefit event will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at Northlight Theatre, 1012 Church Street in Evanston,…
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Theatre Buzz
Tuesday, 16 June 2026 15:41
A Red Orchid Theatre Announces Remount of Hit Production BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA September 10 – October 4, 2026
Written by Buzz Center Stage
A Red Orchid Theatre is thrilled to announce a remount of its critically-acclaimed, father-daughter drama Birds of North America, returning for a limited engagement September 10 – October 4, 2026 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Written by Anna Ouyang Moench and directed by Artistic Director Kirsten Fitzgerald*, the remount will feature the full original cast…
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Upcoming Theatre
Monday, 15 June 2026 23:10
Funny, Incisive 'Southern Rapture' Skewers All Parties in 'Angels in America' Fracas
Written by Bill Esler
“Southern Rapture” quickly elicits loud guffaws from the audience, a heartening circumstancve, as it means playwright Eric Coble’s script is doing its job. Billed as a satire, it recounts the tumultuous week in real life leading up to the 1996 opening night of Tony Kushner's celebrated AIDS play, “Angels in…
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Theatre in Review
Monday, 15 June 2026 13:48
Where Identity Slides: Steppenwolf’s Mesmerizing Catch as Catch Can
Written by Ken Payne
Mia Chung’s Catch as Catch Can, which premiered with Page 73 in New York in 2018, arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre - one of Chicago’s most dynamic and daring artistic institutions - with a production that immediately embraces the play’s slippery, shape-shifting nature. Chung’s script thrives on emotional volatility and fractured…
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Theatre in Review
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- CATCH AS CATCH CAN
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- Amy Morton
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Saturday, 13 June 2026 14:25
Factory Theater’s Two Out of Three Falls is a Theatrical Event
Written by Lauren Katz
Those familiar with the Factory Theater space might feel themselves do a double take upon entering the theater for Two Out of Three Falls. Scenic Designer Manuel Ortiz completely transforms the space. The three-quarter thrust stage that has been there for years is gone – replaced by a wrestling ring…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 22:43
Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes Tour Lands in Rosemont With Subtle Force
Written by Ken Payne
Nate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes tour made its stop at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont with the steady, understated presence that has become central to his appeal. Bargatze continues to draw humor from the small missteps and everyday confusions that shape his storytelling, easing the audience into his rhythm rather…
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Theatre in Review
Saturday, 13 June 2026 20:12
BrightSide’s intimate staging of The Producers shines with Broadway-sized power
Written by Kimberly Katz
BrightSide Theatre’s The Producers storms into Meiley Swallow Hall with the kind of swagger only Mel Brooks can inspire: brash, brazen, and blissfully unconcerned with good taste. From the moment the lights rise, the show charges ahead with a manic momentum that feels both affectionately old school and sharply self-aware.…
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Theatre in Review
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- Brightside Theatre
- the producers
- mel brooks
- Meiley Swallow Hall
- Scott Kelley
- Michael Metcalf
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Wednesday, 10 June 2026 16:19
HAMLET and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST - Chicago Parks - Through August 15th
Written by Buzz Center Stage
For the first time in company history, Oak Park Festival Theatre presents two productions in repertory: William Shakespeare's HAMLET and Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Though separated by centuries and radically different in tone, both plays explore questions of identity, performance, truth, and societal expectation. Presented on alternating evenings throughout the…
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Northlight Theatre inaugurates the first season in its new home in Evanston with the World Premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher's new adaptation of The Front Page
Written by Buzz Center StageNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, opens its new theater in Evanston with The Front Page, Jeffrey Hatcher's world premiere adaption of the rapid-fire classic comedy that also inspired the 1940 film His Girl Friday. The play, based on… -
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Written by Angelo CamposOscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the greatest farces ever written. His wordplay caricatured high society, and clever pay-offs are hilarious when executed properly. The play was first performed on February 14, 1895 (Valentine's Day). The… -
City Lit announces World Premiere adaptation of SHANE, playing August 21 – October 4
Written by Buzz Center StageFull cast and production team have been announced for City Lit's season-opening production of SHANE, Mark Pracht's World Premiere adaptation of the classic Western novel by Jack Schaefer. The story, which richly depicts the transition of the American frontier from…
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