Displaying items by tag: live theatre

Open Space Arts presents BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY, a three-week theatrical exploration of LGBTQ+ theater created during and in response to the AIDS crisis, running October 23 through November 8, 2026, at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave. in Chicago.

The project brings together plays that captured the lives, relationships, sexuality, fear, humor, friendship and resilience of gay men as AIDS transformed their communities, alongside work by artists whose lives and writing continue to carry the history of the epidemic into the present. It grew from a desire to revisit theatrical works that were once urgently connected to LGBTQ+ audiences but are now seldom produced.

While a small number of AIDS-related plays have become firmly established within the theatrical canon, many other plays — along with the artists, small theaters and communities that created them — risk disappearing from cultural memory.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY asks what happens when these works are heard again, forty years later.

The title reflects the urgency behind the project: an opportunity to revisit this work while many of the artists, activists, audience members and community members who experienced this period are still able to share their memories and perspectives — and while a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists can encounter the people and work that helped blaze the trail before them.

Selected performances will be followed by conversations involving artists, activists, historians and community organizations, connecting the plays with both the history of the AIDS epidemic and the continuing realities of HIV today.
Additional panelists, community partners, casting and special programming will be announced. 

Tickets and complete performance information are available at OpenSpaceArts.org.

BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY includes a one-weekend double bill of Jeff Hagedorn's ONE and Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL; a two-weekend run of Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND; and a special one-night staged reading of Robin Swados' A QUIET END.

The project marks the 40th anniversary year of both JERKER and A QUIET END, two important works created as American theater began confronting the AIDS epidemic directly.

A portion of ticket revenue and additional donations from BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY will benefit Chicago Black Men's Caucus, Vivent Health + TPAN, and Season of Concern.

DOUBLE-BILL OF "ONE" AND "BLOOD SPILL"
October 23–25, 2026
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 3 p.m.
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
ONE
by Jeff Hagedorn
Directed by Rory Brady
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY opens with a double bill of ONE and BLOOD SPILL. ONE is  Jeff Hagedorn's groundbreaking solo play about a young man attempting to understand and confront his AIDS diagnosis at a time when the disease itself was still frighteningly new.

First produced in Chicago by Lionheart Gay Theatre Company in 1983, ONE is recognized as one of the earliest publicly produced theatrical works about AIDS.

Milwaukee-born Jeff Hagedorn relocated to Chicago in the early 1980s and became a founding member and resident playwright of Lionheart Gay Theatre. He went on to write numerous plays addressing gay life and the effects of AIDS on the community. His later work included THE LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO SAFE SEX, which combined humor and education at a time when providing accurate information about safer sex had become a matter of life and death. Hagedorn also formed the production company SYZYGY, which helped revive Chicago's pub-theater tradition. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1995.

Rory Brady (he/him, pictured left)) is an up-and-coming theatre creative. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he first became involved in theatre at the age of five, appearing as an Oompa Loompa. Now, he teaches children that same age.

Rory's work was last seen at Open Space Arts when he directed the staged reading of LIVING THE DREAM. He is very excited to return to OSA and to work on such an important historical piece.

Rory has been enlightened by this play, as well as by other queer media that has introduced him to the people who blazed the trail for his generation.

BLOOD SPILL
by Lee Raines
Directed by Byron Stewart
Presented with ONE, Lee Raines' BLOOD SPILL brings another AIDS-era voice into the conversation.
 
Set in New York in 1992, the play follows HIV-positive playwright Kenny King as he confronts Angela Turner, an old college friend who has become the
artistic director of a major theater company. Kenny arrives with a deeply personal AIDS play, only to discover that Angela's theater has chosen work it considers safer and more accessible to its audience.

Their reunion becomes an increasingly heated confrontation over art, AIDS, institutional responsibility and who gets to decide which stories are acceptable for the stage. Beneath the argument lies Kenny's experience caring for a dying friend — and the anger, guilt and helplessness that fueled the work he has written.

BLOOD SPILL was developed through Write It Out!, the playwriting program for writers living with HIV founded by Donja R. Love. Raines was a member of the program's first cohort and has continued working with the organization in artistic programming and outreach.

Lee Raines is a playwright, theater artist, former ACT UP member and longtime HIV survivor who was diagnosed in 1989. His participation gives BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY a living connection between the artists who experienced the AIDS era and the effort to preserve those stories for audiences today.

Byron Stewart (left) is a Chicago director, actor and educator. He is co-founder and Artistic Director of A Real Read and has also served as Artistic Director of Sex Police. His work in Chicago theater has encompassed directing, performance and the development of work centered on Black and LGBTQ+ voices.

JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND
40th Anniversary Production
by Robert Chesley
Created and performed by Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen
October 29-November 8
Thursdays-Saturdays and Monday November 2 at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00pm
Tickets $30 General Admission, $25 students and seniors, on sale now at www.openspacearts.com
 
At the center of BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY is Robert Chesley's JERKER, OR THE HELPING HAND, one of the most provocative and enduring theatrical works to emerge from the AIDS crisis.

The play follows J.R. and Bert, two gay men who develop an increasingly intimate relationship entirely through telephone calls. What begins with anonymous sexual fantasy slowly becomes affection, friendship and emotional dependence as AIDS reshapes the world around them.

Robert Chesley (1943–1990) was a playwright, composer, critic and advocate for gay sexuality at a time when AIDS increasingly associated sex with fear, illness and death. Trained as a musician, Chesley composed extensively before turning to theater and wrote criticism and essays for gay publications as well as plays centered on gay men, desire and AIDS.

His NIGHT SWEAT, produced in New York in 1984, was among the earliest full-length plays to confront AIDS. In 1986, excerpts from JERKER were broadcast by Los Angeles radio station KPFK. The explicit sexual language triggered a major censorship dispute involving the Federal Communications Commission, placing the play at the center of a national debate over sexuality, artistic expression and broadcasting.

Chesley died of an AIDS-related illness in San Francisco in 1990 at age 47. His work remains striking for its refusal to portray gay sexuality as something shameful or incidental, even in the midst of an epidemic.

Open Space Arts presents JERKER in recognition of the play's 40th anniversary, created and performed by brothers Jason Bowen and Joshua Bowen.

A QUIET END
Special 40th-Anniversary Staged Reading
Tuesday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m.
by Robin Swados
Director to be announced
Pay-what-you-can
 
BEFORE WE ARE HISTORY also includes a special pay-what-you-can staged reading of A QUIET END, Robin Swados' deeply human drama about three gay men living together during the early years of AIDS.
The play examines friendship, chosen family, anger, illness, love and mortality as the men confront an epidemic rapidly reshaping their lives and relationships.

A QUIET END is Robin Swados's first play. It has received wide praise for productions including Theater-off-Park, New York; International City Theater, Los Angeles; Offstage Theater Center, London; American Repertory Theater, Amsterdam (which he also directed); Repertory Theater of St. Louis (Best New Play 1987, St. Louis theater critics); and the Weekend Theater, Little Rock, among others.

A QUIET END has been included in BEST MONOLOGUES FOR MEN; BEST SCENES FOR MEN; anthologized in GAY & LESBIAN PLAYS TODAY; and is the focus of an entire chapter of Robert Vorlicky's ACT LIKE A MAN: CHALLENGING MASCULINITIES IN AMERICAN DRAMA (University of Michigan Press, 1995).

Robin Swados lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Open Space Arts presents A QUIET END during its 40th anniversary year.

ABOUT OPEN SPACE ARTS
Open Space Arts is a Chicago-based arts organization presenting theater, film, readings and special cultural events with a particular commitment to LGBTQ+ artists and stories.

From its intimate Uptown storefront, Open Space Arts creates opportunities for artists and audiences to encounter new work as well as significant works that might otherwise disappear from Chicago stages.

The greatest holiday show south of the North Pole returns for its 9th year with another brand spankin' new wintertide wonder! Award-winning comedy icons, writers, actors, and drag queen powerhouses BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (BenDeLaCreme Presents). Directed, produced, and written by BenDeLaCreme, this year's show will tour 30 cities across the U.S. and Canada from November 6 - December 30 in major theaters. 

Tickets are on sale now at JinkxandDeLa.com. VIP Packages, including a photo opportunity with the stars, are only available to purchase separately at JinkxandDeLa.com with proof of ticket purchase.  

Throughout the show's 9-year history, Jinkx and DeLa have met sentient Christmas treats, twisted space-time with Dickensian Ghosts, ventured to the Nutcracker's Land of Sweets, as well as survived immaculate conceptions, A.I., body swaps, and elf attacks. You never know what wild and unexpected sleigh ride these queens have in store. Whatever the twists and turns, fans can expect another year of over-the-top camp spectacle, side-splitting gags, brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, thrilling dance numbers, and iconic costumes. Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as "the reigning queens of Christmas," this show is not only a moment of respite, but a celebration of community, at a time when we need it most of all.

This year, fans will also get the chance to bring the magic of the Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show home with the forthcoming book, HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS: A Raunchy Holiday Romp for Festive Adults! written by BenDeLaCreme. Publishing on October 20th via Chronicle Books, HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS follows the adventures of the two queens as they find themselves mysteriously trapped in a book with only one way out: together! Through rhyming text and candy-colored illustrations, they spar through the challenge of creating a winning Christmas story—dashing through double entendres and many costume changes along the way. Bright, bawdy, and heartwarming, the book captures the subversive joy of the beloved queer holiday tradition for those who want to experience that very special Jinkx and DeLa cheer any time of year. HOW THE QUEENS MADE CHRISTMAS will include a bonus section of behind-the-scenes photos and lyrics from three of Jinkx and DeLa's singable original songs. Also publishing at the same time, a new book of twelve pop-out hanging ornaments featuring sassy holiday tips and quips to countdown the season in style.

BenDeLaCreme says, "This year marks our 8th touring production, and my relationship with the 'Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' feels just as fresh as it did when we started back in 2018. It's no easy feat to mount a brand new show every year but we owe it to our audiences who continue to return and bring new folks along the way. For the past 9 years, 'The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show' has given back to us what we hope to give out every holiday season: joy, community, lots of laughter, and a space to uplift each other. I love what I get to do as an entertainer, writer, director, producer, and now author, but it means nothing without the connection we have with our community. That connection is what drives us, and will continue to as we approach next year's 10th anniversary."

Monsoon adds, "Nine years, where does the time go?! You'd think it would feel like a daunting task, but every year, around this time, DeLa and I start getting excited that our time together is coming again. Somehow, every year, our amazing company makes something spectacular that exceeds even our own expectations — then we get to share it with our community at a very meaningful time. What a great way for a witch to spend the solstice."

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is written by BenDeLaCreme with additional writing by Jinkx Monsoon, directed by BenDeLaCreme, and produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents (a company comprised of producers BenDeLaCreme, Kevin Heard, Gus Lanza, and Associate Producer Jin Moon). This year's tour marks the dynamic duo's 8th live holiday show production, following the massive success of seven previous holiday tours, and cult-classic holiday film The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special in 2020. Since its inception, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show has premiered a brand new show every year – a major achievement for two drag artists who tour annually at this scale.

For more information, visit jinkxanddela.com and follow on Instagram and TikTok. 

December 6 - Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre

“Great Balls of Fire!” Chicago audiences have just one last chance to catch Paramount Theatre’s immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet, returning more than two years after its smash hit debut for a final run and holiday season comeback, October 7, 2026 - January 3, 2027.

Four legends. One night. Music history made. Don’t miss this last chance to experience one of the most popular jukebox musicals of all time. Four incredibly talented actor/musicians bring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley back to life as they navigate the intricacies of fame, while delivering incredible, up-close performances of some of the best songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”  

Paramount’s radically intimate restaging of Million Dollar Quartet was custom built for Paramount’s new 99-seat Stolp Island Theatre so audiences can say “I was there!” Starting October 7, performances are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Exceptions: No show Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving). Added matinee Friday, November 27 at 2 p.m. No shows December 24 or 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas). Show time Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) is at 2 p.m.

Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora, with restaurants and easy, affordable parking just a short walk away.

All seats are $87 when purchased in person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. For tickets and information, visitParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. Note: Tickets and group outings make excellent holiday gifts.

Tis' the season for laughter and cheer! The Second City is decking its holiday lineup with shows for every sense of humor; including two hilarious holiday shows that promise big laughter for all ages. Whether you're craving a nostalgic night out or starting a new holiday tradition, The Second City makes any winter outing merry and oh, so bright.

Make hilarious holiday memories with The Second City. Save 25% on tickets to Not Today, Santa and Pandemonium, Please Hold in December if booked between September 17 and October 9. Use code HOLIDAY2026 at checkout.

For showtimes and tickets please visit secondcity.com or call our box office at (312) 337-3992. The Second City is located at 1616 N. Wells Street.

The Second City's Holiday Lineup
Not Today, Santa
November 25 – December 28, 2026
Tickets start at $45.

Not Today, Santa is The Second City's ultimate holiday comedy celebration, featuring a merry mix of fan-favorite sketches, sharp satire, and festive fun. Packed with laughs for anyone who has survived a family holiday gathering, this seasonal revue is the perfect holiday outing for friends, families, and office parties alike.

Rudolph Runs Wild
November 27 – December 27, 2026
Tickets are $30.

Share silliness this holiday season with Rudolph Runs Wild, a jolly extravaganza for kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and reindeer of all ages! Featuring a fun and festive blend of family-friendly songs and sketches from The Second City's rich comedy archives, fresh new material written specifically for young audiences, and – of course – the ridiculous improv hijinks The Second City is world famous for. Brighten your winter with this one-of-a-kind interactive theatrical experience offering audience members, young and old, the chance to enjoy the comedy fun both from their seats and by joining The Second City performers onstage!

Also Playing at The Second City
Searching for mistletoe free options? We get it! Beat the Scrooge accusations by seeing Second City's hit revues Pandemonium, Please Hold and Reality Detox: The Improv Experience. It's the perfect date night plan without the holiday overload. Turn bah humbug into a night full of laughter with these hit shows.

Pandemonium, Please Hold
Open Run
Tickets start at $40.

The Second City's 114th Mainstage Revue Pandemonium, Please Hold is a loud, fast, and gloriously unhinged night of comedic mayhem. The Second City's six-person cast cranks the amps and stage dives headfirst into the chaos with blistering sketch comedy, unpredictable improv, explosive live music, and absolutely zero chill. Cathartic and wildly funny, brace for pandemonium and join us for a night of full-volume hilarity. Come scream into the abyss with us.

Reality Detox: The Improv Experience
Open Run
Tickets start at $40

Reality Detox: The Improv Experience is a high-energy night of improvisation from The Second City, with a few sketch surprises mixed in along the way. Built fresh each night and shaped by the people in the room, every performance is different from the last. Funny, fast, and wildly unpredictable, it's a chance to escape reality and enjoy a night of laughter. Come be part of the comedy magic.

About The Second City

The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world's most influential name in improv and comedy. Second City's stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad for many of the funniest names on the planet, including John Belushi, John Candy, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Eugene Levy, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Suzy Nakamura, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Sam Richardson, Joan Rivers, Amber Ruffin, Robin Thede and Steven Yeun, among many more.

JK Entertainment is thrilled to announce the complete lineup for Season 2: When We Were Young and Unafraid and gods: A Musical Rampage. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. Subscriptions for the season will go on sale tomorrow, September 1, at www.jkentertainment.org/season-subscription. Season subscriptions start at $70. There will be three tiers of subscriptions that include benefits such as behind the scenes content, exclusive early updates from the company, and special event invitations.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRAID
November 12 - November 29, 2026
Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

When We Were Young and Unafraid by Sarah Treem is set in 1972 at a bed-and-breakfast turned sanctuary for women escaping abuse. As the characters navigate their individual traumas, they form unexpected bonds, challenging societal norms and confronting their fears. This thought-provoking play offers a powerful look at feminism, survival, and solidarity as these women wrestle with their pasts while fighting for a better future.

JK Entertainment will donate $1 of every ticket sold to Connections for Abused Women and their Children.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND UNAFRIAD is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Week 1
Thursday, November 12 - 7:30PM
Friday, November 13 - 7:30PM
Saturday, November 14 - 2:30PM
Saturday, November 14 - 7:30PM
Sunday, November 15 - 2:30PM

Week 2
Thursday, November 19 - 7:30PM
Friday, November 20 - 7:30PM
Saturday, November 21 - 2:30PM
Saturday, November 21 - 7:30PM
Sunday, November 22 - 2:30PM

Week 3
Friday, November 27 - 7:30PM
Saturday, November 28 - 2:30PM
Saturday, November 28 - 7:30PM
Sunday, November 29 - 2:30PM

GODS: A MUSICAL RAMPAGE
April 22 - May 23, 2027
Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.

After receiving rave reviews from it's Act 1 debut at Elgin Fringe Fest 2025, the full production of gods: A Musical Rampage will make its world premiere with JK Entertainment next year.

In this brand new musical by Kyle Reid Hass, a gay whore and his activist lover plot to murder a homophobic pastor. But their rebellion doesn't go unnoticed - they may have just pissed off a pantheon of ancient deities who aren't ready to be sidelined. Blending biting satire, queer chaos, and divine reckoning, gods is a furious, funny, and fearless piece of new musical theatre. 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Week 1
Thursday, April 22 - 7:30PM
Friday, April 23 - 7:30PM
Saturday, April 24 - 2:30PM
Saturday, April 24 - 7:30PM
Sunday, April 25 - 2:30PM

Week 2
Thursday, April 29 - 7:30PM
Friday, April 30 - 7:30PM
Saturday, May 1 - 2:30PM
Saturday, May 1 - 7:30PM
Sunday, May 2 - 2:30PM

Week 3
Thursday, May 6 - 7:30PM
Friday, May 7 - 7:30PM
Saturday, May 8 - 2:30PM
Saturday, May 8 - 7:30PM
Sunday, May 9 - 2:30PM

Week 4
Thursday, May 13 - 7:30PM
Friday, May 14 - 7:30PM
Saturday, May 15 - 2:30PM
Saturday, May 15 - 7:30PM
Sunday, May 16 - 2:30PM

Week 5
Thursday, May 20 - 7:30PM
Friday, May 21 - 7:30PM
Saturday, May 22 - 2:30PM
Saturday, May 22 - 7:30PM
Sunday, May 23 - 2:30PM

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, 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

A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased to announce full casting for its Chicago premiere of Will Arbery's politically-charged drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning, directed by Ensemble Member dado*.

The talented line-up includes Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald* with Magdalena Dalzell, Isa Grofsorean, Beck Nolan and Nate Santana.

Launching A Red Orchid's 34^th Season, exploring the theme of "world on fire," Heroes of the Fourth will play October 29 – December 6, 2026 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Single go on sale Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available.

About the Production:

It's nearing midnight in Wyoming, where four recent graduates have gathered to celebrate their beloved mentor and professor Gina, newly inducted as president of their tiny Catholic liberal arts college. The reunion spirals into spiritual chaos, clashing generational politics and a vicious fight to be understood. Offering grace and disarming clarity, this haunting play speaks to the torn heart of a country at war with itself.

The production team includes Ensemble Member Grant Sabin* (Scenic Designer), Madeleine Shows (Costume Designer), Josiah Croegaert (Lighting Designer), Ethan Korvne (Composer & Sound Designer), Eel Black (Props Designer), Chels Morgan (Violence & Intimacy Director), Omar Fernandez (Assistant Director), JC Widman (Stage Manager), Kira Nutter (Production Manager), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Faith Locke (Assistant Stage Manager) and Duncan Hon (Master Electrician).

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Playwright: Will Arbery
Director: Ensemble member dado*
Cast: Ensemble Member Kirsten Fitzgerald* (Gina) with Magdalena Dalzell (Emily), Isa Grofsorean (Teresa), Beck Nolan (Kevin) and Nate Santana (Justin).

Understudies: Rachel Ives (Emily & Teresa), Kyle Ringley (Justin & Kevin) and Sarafina Vecchio (Gina).

Location: A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 29 at 7 pm, Friday, October 30 at 7 pm, Sunday, November 1 at 3 pm, Thursday, November 5 at 7 pm and Friday, November 6 at 7 pm

Opening: Sunday, November 8 at 6 pm

Regular run: Thursday, November 12 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm; Saturdays 3 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be performances on Saturday, October 31 at 7 pm (Halloween) or Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving); there will be an added Industry Night performance on Monday, November 23 at 7 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $33 – $44*. Regular run: $55*. Access, student, senior, and group discounts available. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available. *Ticket prices include a processing fee.

About the Artists:Will Arbery (Playwright, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, he/him) is a playwright and screenwriter from Texas. His play Heroes of the Fourth Turning premiered at Playwrights Horizons in 2019 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and the winner of an OBIE, Lucille Lortel and New York Drama Critics Circle Award, among other honors. It was named one of the "new canon" plays by American Theatre. Other plays include: You Hateful Things (upcoming London premiere), Spite House (upcoming New York premiere), Corsicana (Playwrights Horizons), Evanston Salt Costs Climbing (The New Group), Plano (Clubbed Thumb) and Wheelchair (3 Hole Press). He was the recipient of a Whiting Award in 2020. Will wrote on the fourth season of Succession, for which he won the WGA Award for Episodic Drama. He is the creator of two upcoming shows with FX: Seven Sisters (starring Elizabeth Olsen) and The Marriage Plot (starring Sadie Sink). Texas Monthly flagged him as one of the most influential cultural figures of the past 50 years out of Texas, and The New Yorker has called him the playwright of the moment.dado (Director, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, she/her) last directed the world premiere of JoJo Jones' Veal at A Red Orchid, and before that Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin by Dianne Nora. In 2025 dado directed Lobster by Kallan Dana for the Wirtz Center at Northwestern and Dance Nation by Clare Barron for UIC, where she currently serves on the faculty. Other projects dado has directed are Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. by Alice Birch with The Feast Collective, Right Now by Catherine Anne Toupin (Facility Theatre), Anny Ouyang Moench's In Quietness at A Red Orchid and The Lover by Harold Pinter (with Yasen Peyankov at Facility Theatre). She has also directed The Ruse of Medusa by Erik Satie (Facility Theatre) and Killing Game by Eugene Ionesco (A Red Orchid). Next spring she will direct The Cherry Orchard for UIC's mainstage.Kirsten Fitzgerald (Gina, she/her) is a proud member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre and has served as the Artistic Director since 2008. As an actor Kirsten has originated roles in the world premieres of The Targeted, The Cave, Grey House, Traitor, Pilgrim's Progress, Weapon of Mass Impact, and more at A Red Orchid; Swing State, I Hate It Here (Goodman); Lettie, Appropriate (Victory Gardens); Mary Page Marlowe, The Qualms (Steppenwolf). TV: Dark Matter, Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, The Exorcist, Sirens, The Big Leap, Chicago Med/Fire/Justice, Underemployed, ER. Film: Rain Reign, Widows, Working Man. Directing credits include Birds of North America (Jeff Award for Best Production and Best Director of a Play-Midsize) and The Moors (Jeff Award for Best Production and Best Director of a Play-Midsize) at A Red Orchid, the world premiere of Gorgeous by Keiko Green at Raven Theatre and Dance Nation at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center. Kirsten is represented by Grossman & Jack Talent.Magdalena Dalzell (Emily, she/her) is so excited to make her Red Orchid debut! Recent acting credits include The Seagull (Red Theater), Beatrix Potter Holiday Tea Party (Chicago Children's Theatre), Meet Me at Dawn, Fefu and Her Friends and Eurydice (Snails on a Bike), and Chicago P.D.. She is a founding ensemble member of Snails on a Bike, a site-specific and found space theatre collective, and the bookstore manager at The Understudy. Magdalena studied theatre and Russian language and literature at Northwestern University, as well as the Moscow Art Theatre School. Rep: Talent X Alexander | IG: @maggie_.grace.

Isa Grofsorean (Teresa, she/her) is an actor hailing from Ann Arbor, Mi and is thrilled to be making her debut at A Red Orchid Theatre! Credits include: Strawdog Theatre Company, The Guthrie Theater, Montana Shakespeare in the Schools, Theatre L'Homme Dieu, The Gremlin Theatre and Summit Theatre Project. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program. 

Beck Nolan (Kevin, he/him) is a Chicago-based actor making his Red Orchid debut. Theatre: Keerah, Television: Widows Bay, Win or Lose, Too Much. Film: Mouse, System of Colors, Big Time, Slay, Line Cooks, Good Guy with a Gun. Beck is a graduate of The Theater School at DePaul University.

Nate Santana (Justin, he/him) is an Artistic Collective Member at Teatro Vista Productions and Artistic Affiliate at American Blues. Directing credits: Romeo and Juliet, American Jornalero (Teatro Vista); Lobby Hero (Jeff Award Best Director and Best Play – Shattered Globe). Selected acting credits: Taming of the Shrew (Court); Things with Friends (American Blues); Ironbound (Raven) The Thanksgiving Play, Ironbound (Steppenwolf); Legend of Georgia McBride (Northlight); Balm in Gilead, Golden Boy (Griffin); The Abuelas, White Tie Ball, Momma's Boyz (Teatro Vista); The Rainmaker (BoHo); References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (Phoenix). Television credits: Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Suits and The Exorcist.  

Production sponsors: Terrance and Carol Coleman and Dawn and Jim Kink.

About A Red Orchid Theatre:A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 33 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Esteban Andres Cruz, Dado, Mike Durst, Sherman Edwards, Myron Elliott, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, John Judd, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.Sponsor Information:A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. These sponsors help to create a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensure that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre-making.A Red Orchid Theatre's 34^th Season is sponsored by The Bayless Family Foundation and Heidi Hoblit Graham. Heroes of the Fourth Turning is sponsored by Terrance and Carol Coleman and Dawn and Jim Kink.Interested in sponsoring a production? By partnering with us as a sponsor, you will help to take our work to the next level of artistic excellence, while also receiving deeper access to our artists and the creative process. To learn more, please contact Development Director Stephanie Shum at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (312) 943-8722. 

What happens when three young people discover hip-hop and realize they might have something to say? Idris Goodwin’s How We Got On, directed by Definition Theatre Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips, answers that question with rhythm, humor, attitude and plenty of heart. Think of it as a mixtape for the stage - a collection of voices, beats, dreams and memories that takes us back to the 1980s, when hip-hop was still growing and figuring out what it could become.

Jamal Turner’s Hank is ambitious, curious and hungry to find his place. He’s a young guy who discovers that writing rhymes gives him a voice and a way to express what he may not always be able to say out loud. Turner makes Hank likable, funny and real. You can see the excitement in him as he begins to realize that maybe he has something special.

Tony Garcia’s Julian brings a completely different flavor. He is confident, competitive and determined to prove himself. Garcia gives Julian plenty of swagger, but there is vulnerability underneath it. His chemistry with Turner makes their friendship and competition fun to watch.

And then there’s Luann, played by Anuoluwa T. Awolola. Luann is a talented rapper who has almost everything under control. She has the confidence, the skills and the flow. Her one problem is that she’s a girl trying to make it in a male-dominated hip-hop world. Awolola gives Luann the confidence of someone who knows exactly what she can do - and isn’t waiting for anyone’s permission to do it.

Maya Vinice Prentiss is a standout as the Selector, shifting effortlessly between narrator, DJ and several different characters. She is our guide through this musical journey, constantly reminding us that this isn’t just a story being told - it’s a story being spun.

Sydney Lynn Thomas’s set design gets the vibe right from the start. A wall filled with different beatboxes immediately transports us into the world of early hip-hop. It feels like walking into someone’s bedroom, record shop or neighborhood hangout where the next great track might be created.

Adding another visual dimension is Chicago artist John Vergara’s art installation. His colorful work, influenced by graffiti, portraiture and Chicago’s street culture, fits naturally alongside the production’s celebration of hip-hop and self-expression.

The show does have some pacing issues. There are moments when the energy drops, but once the rhythm kicks back in, How We Got On is hard not to enjoy.

This is a mixtape for the stage - a lively blend of music, memories, friendship and youthful ambition. It reminds us that before hip-hop became a worldwide cultural force, it was young people with something to say, a beat to work with and the courage to get on the mic.

RECOMMENDED

When: through September 27th

Where: Definition Theatre@55th, 1160 E. 55^th Street., Chicago, Il.

Running time: 90 minutes no intermission

Tickets: Start at $25

312-469-0390

definitiontheatre.org

Northlight Theatre opened its new venue with Jeffrey Hatcher’s smart, rejuvenated adaptation of The Front Page. Commissioned by Artistic Director BJ Jones, this world-premiere production is the first play to be performed in their new Evanston home and proves to be the ideal piece to launch the company’s exciting new era. Built at a cost of roughly $32 million, the modern and sleek new facility looks beautiful inside and out, featuring an intimate 285-seat theater space alongside dedicated rehearsal rooms and gathering spaces. Classic chandeliers hang gracefully inside, while wide-open windows showcase its elegant new design and invite the outside world in.

Set in the high-stakes press room of 1930s Chicago, The Front Page follows the chaotic, fast-talking world of newsroom journalists scrambling to cover the impending execution of Earl Williams, convicted for killing an officer. When Williams unexpectedly escapes police custody, the press room explodes into a frenzy of rival reporters and corrupt politicians desperate to save face before an election. At the center of the storm is Hildy Johnson, an ace journalist who intends to quit the business in order to marry. However, her relentless editor - and ex-flame - Walter Burns has no intention of letting his best reporter walk away.

The Front Page was originally penned by playwright Ben Hecht alongside his frequent collaborator and fellow former reporter Charles MacArthur. Together, they mined real-life experiences covering the rowdy police beats and Chicago pressrooms to write the play. The piece has been adapted several times, including its most famous screen adaptation, His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, which was the first to change the gender of Hildy Johnson into a female lead. Hatcher’s sharp adaptation draws inspiration from His Girl Friday and services the original text while still carving a path of its own. In this version, Hildy also has a romantic history with her boss, but while there are sparks, this Hildy is wise enough to look for commitment rather than be carried away by emotion. Hatcher weaves in several clever nods to Chicago, making it feel like this rejuvenated piece has found its perfect home.

The production itself is a masterclass in ensemble comedy, anchored by real-life married couple Kate Fry and Timothy Edward Kane. Fry is excellent as Hildy Johnson because she is able to blend in with her tough journalist equals while still retaining her femininity and moral core. She delivers lines with sizzle and wins the audience over with her charm and wit. Kane plays Burns with fantastic energy, riding the line perfectly between a meddling boss and a sly, emotionally manipulative pal. The newsroom reporters played by Mark David Kaplan, Guy Van Swearingen, Kelan Smith, and Joe Dempsey each add a different flavor to the room - flavors that blend together well and build the framework for the comedy to succeed. John Drea adds gentle humor to his mixed-up criminal Earl Williams, playing the unstable, confused man with hilarity, especially as he falls for Mollie, portrayed by Rae Gray, whose husky voice was made for this role. Tim Kazurinsky plays Pincus, a courier, and while it’s a minor role, his meek, overly literal character steals every scene he’s in. Cindy Gold also delivers comedy gold as the stern mother-in-law-to-be.

Another exquisite element of this magnificent show is the beautiful set crafted by Jeff Kmiec. It wonderfully captures the vintage feel of the press room with its warm tones set against hints of Chicago in the background.

The Front Page is a thoroughly fun time. This show is not to be missed and is the perfect inaugural production for Northlight’s beautiful new space.

Through October 25^th - https://northlight.org/series/the-front-page/

Overshadowed Productions’ Flame of Fire revisits one of the most polarizing true stories in mid‑century missionary history, and the result is a tense, deeply human portrait of faith, conviction, and consequence. Written by Artistic Director Reba Hervas, the play draws not only from the well‑known documentary Beyond the Gates of Splendor and Elisabeth Elliot’s landmark book Through Gates of Splendor, but also from factual accounts, personal testimonies, and historical insights provided by Wheaton College scholars. The play traces the 1956 Operation Auca mission, in which five young missionaries - Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian - travel into the Ecuadorian jungle determined to make peaceful contact with the isolated Huaorani tribe. Their optimism is met with tragedy when all five men are killed, an event that reverberated across the world and became a defining moment in evangelical culture. But Flame of Fire doesn’t stop at the violence. It follows the wives and families who later returned to the same tribe, choosing forgiveness over fear and reshaping the narrative into one of radical grace. Hervas frames the story with a clear‑eyed awareness of its complexities, allowing audiences to sit with both the aspiration and the cost. The production leans into the emotional weight of the material without sensationalizing it, offering a thoughtful, layered retelling of a chapter that still resonates today.

The play opens in 1945, grounding the audience in a postwar world where hope and hardship collide, and where five young men feel an urgent, almost electric calling to spread the gospel to places untouched by Western faith. Flame of Fire takes its time introducing each missionary as he meets the woman who will become his partner in life and in purpose, framing these courtships not as sentimental detours but as the emotional backbone of the story. Their marriages are depicted with sincerity and momentum, fueled by a shared passion to carry Christianity into remote corners of the world no one in their circles had ever seen. It’s a gentle beginning that underscores the idealism, devotion, and innocence that will later be tested, making the eventual tragedy feel all the more profound.

Though Jim Elliot is often the first name associated with this story - largely due to Life Magazine’s coverage that reached 30 million readers at the time - Hervas centers the narrative on pilot Nate Saint, portraying him as the driving force behind Operation Auca, its planner, organizer, and steady motivator. By the early 1950s, the missionaries had already arrived in Ecuador and were serving in various regions, ministering to other Indigenous communities and building relationships that laid the groundwork for the efforts that would eventually become Operation Auca. Their work during these years established the practical experience, cultural understanding, and collaborative momentum that shaped the mission long before contact with the Huaorani was ever considered.

That operation truly begins in 1955 after Saint spots an isolated Indigenous community during one of his flights, a discovery that sets everything that follows into motion. The Huaorani tribe, known for both hostility and intense internal warfare that threatened their own survival, had a population of only about 500 when the missionaries first attempted contact. Their initial introduction came through gifts dropped from Saint’s plane, a cautious gesture meant to build trust from a distance.

Though Saint emerges as the central figure of the mission, Elliot’s influence is still woven throughout the narrative, especially in his declaration that he is God’s “flame of fire,” a metaphor for his calling to spread the gospel with absolute conviction. The play also incorporates several of Elliot’s writings, later collected by his wife Elisabeth after his death, including his well‑known line: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” In the context of the story, the quote underscores Elliot’s belief that sacrificing one’s earthly life in service of faith is not a loss, but an exchange for something eternal - a sentiment that becomes hauntingly resonant as the mission unfolds.

Overshadowed’s ensemble brings sincerity and cohesion to Flame of Fire, with each missionary paired thoughtfully with the woman who shares his calling. Justin McHugh and Leah Johansen anchor much of the story as Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, while Jacob Starr and Emily Starr bring warmth and resolve to Nate and Marjorie Saint. Andrew Dille and Madelyn Jones portray Pete Fleming and Olive Ainslie with gentle conviction, and Alex Kretschmer and Olivia Orsag give Ed and Marilou McCully a grounded, earnest presence. Benjamin Nelson and Betsy Richman round out the group as Roger and Barbara Youderian, offering a steady, heartfelt partnership. Together, the cast forms a unified portrait of faith, devotion, and the human ties that shaped this historic mission.

Jacob Starr’s portrayal of Nate Saint is especially striking. From his first entrance, standing across the stage with the other missionaries, he flashes a wide, earnest smile that feels genuine, full of promise, and quietly selfless. Even though Saint is known as “the man who could fix anything” and often carries himself with a no‑nonsense, mission‑first focus, that smile keeps returning, reminding us of his deep excitement and unwavering joy in the work he feels called to do. And in the moments after his death, when he appears again among the group, the smile remains - a subtle, moving reassurance that he died doing exactly what he believed in most: sharing God’s work with those who had never heard it.

The cast of Flame of Fire by Reba Hervas by Overshadowed Theatrical Productions.

The set design, led by Scenic, Projection, and SFX Designer Yohannan Lee, adds an impressive layer of storytelling to Flame of Fire. Act I moves fluidly through key locations, beginning at Wheaton College where Jim and Elisabeth first meet, then shifting to other formative moments in the missionaries’ early lives. These transitions are made seamless by a massive video board at the rear of the stage, which Lee uses to create crisp, immersive backdrops that keep the narrative visually anchored. But it’s Act II that truly transports the audience: once the story reaches Ecuador, the stage blossoms into a lush rainforest environment. Towering exotic trees, dense shrubs, and textured greenery surround the missionaries’ campsite, blending physical foliage with atmospheric projection work to evoke the depth and isolation of the jungle. The result is a vivid, enveloping world that makes the shift from American college life to the Amazon feel both dramatic and authentic.

Though criticisms have been brought to light in recent years, particularly in cases where missionary work aligned with power, assimilation, or cultural disruption through colonial empires, governments, or corporations, Flame of Fire shows that another side of missionary history exists, revealing a contrasting perspective defined not by dominance but by unselfish people driven by a sincere passion to share the gospel and help communities in need. The missionaries in this story are portrayed as embracing and appreciating Huaorani culture rather than seeking to overwrite it. Their stated purpose, “We are not here to impose, but to show them a new way,” reflects a posture of humility rather than dominance. The production underscores the practical support they offered as well: medical care for infections and injuries, assistance with childbirth, treatment for illnesses, and help navigating crises that had long gone unaddressed. In this telling, their faith is expressed through service as much as through preaching, and their motives are framed as deeply personal rather than political.

The play also widens its scope to reveal the larger forces threatening the Huaorani people in the 1950s. The courage of the wives is made unmistakably clear, returning to the very people who speared their husbands to death with a resolve that feels almost unimaginable. Big oil companies, working with the Ecuadorian government, coveted Huaorani land for new oil fields and expected the tribe’s internal conflicts to wipe them out - and if not, planned to forcibly remove them. That trajectory changed when the missionaries’ wives returned after the killings, some choosing to live among the Huaorani. Their presence helped foster peace, reduce violence, and stabilize the community in ways the play presents as lifesaving. Anthropological research often confirms that the Waodani (the tribe’s self‑name) spearing feuds were unsustainable and that the tribe actively chose to end the killings once introduced to the concept of forgiveness. The population grew instead of disappearing. And in one of the story’s most powerful arcs, the very men who killed their husbands later became Christians themselves, forming lifelong bonds with the missionaries’ families, relationships depicted as genuine, mutual, and rooted in grace. In Flame of Fire, the positive motives of these missionaries are made unmistakably clear, offering a portrait of faith expressed through compassion, reconciliation, and enduring human connection.

Flame of Fire is a moving, meticulously crafted production that balances historical weight with heartfelt storytelling, offering audiences a rare look at the compassion, conviction, and humanity behind a famously tragic chapter of missionary history. Overshadowed Productions brings sincerity, artistry, and emotional clarity to every corner of the stage, creating a piece that resonates long after the final scene. This is a powerful, beautifully rendered play that deserves to be seen, discussed, and remembered. Flame of Fire runs through October 10th and can be experienced at Jubilee Bible Church in Medinah, and comes recommended.

Tickets at https://www.overshadowed.org/flame-of-fire#story