Displaying items by tag: on stage

Tin Drum Theatre Company is proud to announce the cast and creative team for Chicago premiere for A Dark Wood, October 15 - November 1, written by Eric Coble and directed by Steve Needham, at Studio 44 in the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. The preview performance for A Dark Wood is Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the opening night performance Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The Understudy Performance is Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. There will be a post-show talk-back with playwright Eric Coble after a select performance date, to be announced. Tickets are $29 with $15 student tickets. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 1  at TinDrumTheatre.com or by calling the Greenhouse Theater Company box office at 773.404.7336. 

“The Fix” was supposed to correct everything that had gone wrong with the country. Now, three members of a shattered family, Earthworm, Hummingbird and Armadillo, occupy different corners of a society in free-fall, each surviving in their own way. Earthworm squats in no-man’s land beside his only friend, desperate to cross the river border and begin a new life. Hummingbird hides in a boarded-up apartment, secretly reading books with a fugitive teacher who will do anything to keep both her — and the resistance — alive. Armadillo stands alone in her police armor searching for justice, or perhaps forgiveness. Which of them will make it to Paradise and what will it cost? Does such a place even exist?

A Dark Wood ensemble cast includes Renzo Vicente (he/him, Earthworm), Delaney 

Vallese (she/her, Hummingbird), Marlee Feacher (she/her, Armadillo), Carlos Andrés Mai (he/they, Montrose), Shannon Leigh Webber (she/her, Miss Vivian) and Raúl Alonso (he/him, Dipper).

The creative team includes Eric Coble (he/him, playwright); Steve Needham (he/him, producer/director),  Jason Palmer (he/him, production manager),  Sil Rivera (they/them, stage manager); Will Hughes (he/him, technical director and scenic designer); Kasey Wolfgang (she/her, costume designer); Emma Berry (she/her, lighting designer and master electrician); Zach Stinnett (he/him, sound designer) and Erin Alys (she/her, director of intimacy and movement). 

ABOUT ERIC COBLE, playwright

Eric Coble is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans sharply drawn dramas, audacious comedies and incisive social satire. Born in Edinburgh and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations of the American Southwest, Coble brings a distinctive blend of wit, empathy and theatrical boldness to the stage.

His plays have been produced across the United States and internationally, including on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at major regional theatres. His Broadway debut, The Velocity of Autumn, starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella, earned Parsons a Tony Award nomination. Other widely produced works include The Giver (stage adaptation), Bright Ideas, My Barking Dog, Fairfield, The Dead Guy, Natural Selection and Southern Rapture, among many others.

Coble’s scripts have received an ATCA Steinberg New Play Award citation, the Governor’s Award for the Arts (Ohio) and multiple Edgerton New Play Awards. His work has been developed or produced by The Kennedy Center, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Known for his sharp comic voice and ability to illuminate the tensions and absurdities of contemporary American life, Coble remains a vital presence in the new-play landscape. He is a member of the Playwrights’ Center and a graduate of Ohio University’s MFA program.

ABOUT STEVE NEEDHAM, director

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Steve Needham is a founding member of Convergence-Continuum, which is still producing provocative black box theatre for more than 25 years.

In Chicago, Needham has previously worked in various capacities at The Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, About Face Theatre and Pride Films & Plays. He holds a B.A. in theater from Kent State University, a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Cleveland State University.

At Tin Drum Theatre, he wrote the company’s inaugural play, Winter Garden about Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, and directed The Unseen by Craig Wright. 

Outside of his artistic pursuits, Needham is an attorney with a litigation firm located in the River North neighborhood.

ABOUT TIN DRUM THEATRE COMPANY

Tin Drum Theatre Company exists to disrupt complacency and reassert theatre’s civic purpose. Creating theatre that asks something of its audience, moving beyond comfort to provoke conversation and critical engagement. Tin Drum believes community begins where audiences and ideas collide, and where dramatic disturbances are created.

Curious Theatre Branch, with co-producers Chicago Danztheater Ensemble, Chicago Dramatists and Labyrinth Club, are pleased to announce the 37th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, September 20 - October 26 at four venues across Chicago. The month-long festival of shows will kick off with a special “afternoon tea” edition of the Full Moon Vaudeville, this concert launches the festival on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave., headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth and other special guests. 

Throughout its nearly four decades, Rhinofest has endeavored to welcome as many participants as possible, both as artists and as audience members. To that end, artists pay no fee to apply or to produce their works at Rhinofest and all tickets are offered at pay-what-you-can pricing, with a $25 suggested price. Tickets and details for all upcoming shows will be available Sunday, Sept. 6 at Rhinofest.com.

Since its inception in 1989, as a single weekend of shows in the Wicker Park neighborhood, this unique and mutable fringe festival has expanded and contracted to fit the time and has become the longest running Fringe Festival in Chicago. Festival events will take place at four venues this year: Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. in Humboldt Park; Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen in River West, Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd. in the Irving Park neighborhood and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave. 

The 37th Rhinofest will feature mostly original work from Chicago artists and companies, including new work from The Fat Theater Project, the 10th anniversary of Ira Murfin’s An Interview, a new work by Jessica Wright Buha, new work from Drinking and Writing Theater, and, of course, an evening of short works by The Curious Theatre Branch, Rhinofest’s host. New to the Festival in 2026 are partnerships with Chicago Danztheater, a beautiful space in Andersonville, featuring movement-based work and a creativity workshop called Maps, Guides & Legends: a generative writing and interdisciplinary art-making workshop on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.  

This year's festival will feature plays, music and performances from more than 35 companies and solo artists. Among the highlights are: 

The Full Moon Vaudeville

Facility Theater, 1138 N. California Ave.

Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m.

The annual bacchanalia headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth 

includes a variety of acts to inaugurate the festival featuring cool things as yet unknown and a rare afternoon teatime show.

Make Out the Words 

by The Curious Theatre Branch

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 9 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. 

Make Out the Words: two new short plays inspired by the unproduced writing of the late Matt Rieger, by Curious ensemble members Charlotte Lastra and Chris Bower. The show also features a performance of Rieger's own text by Beau O'Reilly. 

A strange encounter on a train leaves an aimless woman desperate for answers, and a flood with no explanation leaves a couple with a basement full of ruined Moby Dicks.

Drinking and Writing Theater: Miersten Wolf

Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd.

Thursdays: Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

In this 70-minute musical, three stories are interwoven with 10 original songs. The stories include the truthful biographical information of the writer, the history of Chicago's problem/solution with its waste and, lastly, a fictional story of a crib keeper on Lake Michigan who dreams of a mysterious woman named Miersten Wolf.

Works in Progress

By Jeff Glassman, Mark Enslin and Susan Parenti

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m.

Works in progress include Radish is My Teacher by Jeff Glassman, a collection of scripts for puppets by Susan Parenti and a libretto by Mark Enslin about a stranded international volunteer incarcerated firefighter. Both Susan Parenti & Jeff Glassman have had new works produced here in Chicago and around the country over the last decade.

The Metamorphosis aka The Adult Show/I'm a Bug!!! aka the Kids Show

By Jessica Wright Buha

Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave.

Sundays: Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 at 11 a.m.

This staged reading presents TWO works-in-progress that will happen at the same time (in two separate rooms). 

The Metamorphosis aka The Adult Show, is a five-actor immersive show based on Franz Kafka's “The Metamorphosis.” 

I'm a Bug!!!! aka the Kids Show, is a two-actor/teaching artist show for kids based on Franz Kafka's “The Metamorphosis.” This second piece will also serve as child care for audience members going to see The Metamorphosis.

Shaking the Beckett: 

The Magic of Lady M. and A Needless & Wasteful Requirement

By Fat Theater Company

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. 

These two one acts are both subjective and satirical interpretations of the works of two theatrical masters: William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. The Magic of Lady M. by Laura Scruggs reimagines the tragedy of “Macbeth” as a feminist political satire in a style akin to John Waters or “Ru Paul's Drag Race.” A Needless & Wasteful Requirement by Robert MacCrae follows two actresses awaiting the performance rights to produce Waiting for Godot, which becomes an existential absurd comedy in the vein of Beckett himself. 

An Interview

By Ira Murfin

Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. at Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Rd.

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. at Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

An Interview is an ongoing series of encounters between rotating pairs of participants, who meet across a table in front of an audience to first revisit an interview conducted during the previous installment and now to conduct a new, unrehearsed conversation. Every performance is specific, unique and unrepeatable, while each encounter is connected to all the others by the format and sequence that carries through the project’s 10-year history. 

Special Event: Maps, Guides & Legends

Led by Sherry Antonini and Jenny Magnus

Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, 1650 W. Foster Ave.

Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Maps, Guides & Legends is a generative writing and interdisciplinary art-making workshop. A writing and creativity day based on the idea that doing is learning, and experiments and games are an explosive way to try new things. Antonini and Magnus have been teaching together for 30 years, from the incredible Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago back in the day to writing classes at The School of the Art Institute and everything in between. This duo knows how to have fun and get ideas rolling. Anyone can get ready to begin, begin again or find a way through the middle of a project. Open to writers and interdisciplinary artists at all levels, this workshop will point to new project routes, productive detours and discoveries of what can be found along unpaved roads. 

About the Rhinoceros Theater Festival

The event that became the Rhinoceros Theater Festival began in 1988 as an offshoot of the Bucktown Arts Fest and in its first year featured just two days of performances, including work by Curious Theatre Branch co-founders Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly. Curious went on to produce the Rhino across many neighborhoods and venues over the years, with events variously taking place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Rogers Park, Andersonville and Avondale; at spaces including the Lunar Cabaret and Full Moon Café, the Neo-Futurarium, the Society for New Things, The Garage, The Firehouse, Remains Theatre and Prop Thtr. In the mid-2000s, Rhinofest settled at Prop Thtr in Avondale as its long-term base and Prop and Curious co-produced the festival among a shifting group of curators for many years. Following the closure of Prop's Elston Ave. space in 2020 and a year off during the height of the pandemic, Rhinofest now returns to its expanded form, producing shows by more than 50 artists at multiple venues.

Open Space Arts has announced it will stage the Chicago Premiere of THE SWALLOW - the internationally acclaimed drama by Spanish playwright Guillem Clua, author of the comedy SMILEY, which Open Space Arts produced from June 3 to July 19 this year. In this two-character 90-minute play, a voice lesson becomes a profound experience for the music teacher and her adult student. As they work together on a song, what initially seems like a simple musical exchange becomes something more personal, more complicated, and more revealing.
 
THE SWALLOW (originally titled LA GOLONDRINA) premiered in London in 2018. It was produced in Madrid the following year, with Carmen Maura, the star of seven films directed by the legendary Pedro Almodovar, as the music teacher. THE SWALLOW has also been staged in Athens, Rome, Washington, DC, and New York City. The Open Space Arts production will open on Friday, September 11, at 7:30 pm, and play Fridays through Sundays through September 27. All performances are in Open Space Arts' hyper-intimate 25-seat theatre at 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago.

Open Space Arts' production of THE SWALLOW will be directed by Laine Rogers, whose credits include work with a wide swath of Chicago theatre companies, including MadKap Productions, Piven Theatre, Raven Theatre, Concert Opera of Greater Chicago, Pride Arts, Actors Training Center, Muskegon Civic Theatre, and DePaul University. Her cast will include Chicago veteran actress Michelle McKenzie-Voight as the teacher, Emily, and Jim Nally, a recent transplant to Chicago from Cleveland, as Ray. The production team is Dorothy Sargent (Stage Manager), Rick Paul (Set Designer), Dominique Favre (Costume Designer), Sean Smyth (Lighting and Sound Designer), and Mark Forbis (Original Music). 

SMILEY author Guillem Clua is one of Spain's most widely produced contemporary playwrights. His work has been staged internationally and translated into multiple languages. His plays, including SMILEY and THE SWALLOW, are known for their emotional intelligence, wit, and insight into the complexities of human connection. While SMILEY has become a global audience favorite, it has had only limited exposure in the United States, with select Spanish-language productions in New York and Miami. Open Space Arts' production introduces this internationally celebrated work to Chicago audiences, offering a fresh opportunity to experience one of the most engaging contemporary queer love stories to emerge from the European stage. 

Tickets for THE SWALLOW are $30.00 ($25.00 for students and seniors) and are on sale now at www.openspacearts.org. 

THE SWALLOW
By Guillem Clua
English Translation by Tim Gutteridge
Directed by Laine Rogers
September 11–27, 2026
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Sundays at 3:00 PM
Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago
Tickets $30.00 general admission, $25.00 students and seniors. On sale now at https://www.openspacearts.org

THE SWALLOW is set during a private singing lesson between a choral director and a new student. As they work together on a song, what initially seems like a simple musical exchange becomes something more personal, more complicated, and more revealing.
 
With humor, tension, and emotional precision, the play explores grief, memory, family, faith, identity, and the stories people tell in order to survive. Music becomes both a refuge and a doorway, allowing two strangers to move toward truths that have been difficult to face. THE SWALLOW is a powerful theatrical encounter about loss, compassion, and the possibility of connection when people are willing to listen.

Collaboraction Theatre Company announced today two major productions for its 2026-27 season: the world premiere of Chicago writer Willie Round’s Mud Life this fall, and the return of Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till in February.

“For our 31st season, at our House of Belonging, Collaboraction opens our chamber of change to Chicagoans to cultivate new knowledge, empathy, dialogue, and action with two plays by writing partners and Collaboraction Company Members, G. Riley Mills and Willie Round. One play is in the present. The other in the past. Both impact our future,” said Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley. “Mud Life, set in a worn down recording studio on Chicago’s West side and based on Willie's actual life, is a raw, revealing look at the hopes and dreams of escaping poverty and scarcity through music. The other is based on the heartbreak of Mamie Till-Mobley's life, an excavation of the once-erased courtroom proceeding where a mother and others risked their lives to confront and dismantle white hatred, changing us all, forever.”

Both productions will have multiweek runs at Collaboraction’s new House of Belonging, now anchoring the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave. in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community. Tickets to both productions are already on sale at collaboraction.org.

First is the debut of Mud Life, a raw, intimate drama by and based on Chicago writer, rapper, producer and Collaboraction Company Member Willie Round’s experiences growing up on Chicago’s west side making music.

The plot spins around Anthony and Devontae, two aspiring hip-hop artists from Chicago’s North Lawndale community who are struggling to climb beyond their circumstances while creating music under the control of a manipulative strip-club owner. When an enigmatic outsider offers them a rare shot at escape, their loyalty fractures, and their bond is tested in ways that alter the course of their lives. 

Mud Life first entered Collaboraction’s orbit in 2019 as the seven-minute short play Broke Down Drone in Collaboraction’s Peacebook Festival. That experience spawned an award-winning short film of the same name. More recently, Round returned to the script, which received workshops and readings earlier this summer at both Bramble Theatre and Definition Theatre. 

Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley will direct Collaboraction’s world premiere of Mud Life. Martine Kei-Green Rogers, Dean, The Theatre School at DePaul University, is dramaturg.

Previews are Wednesday through Saturday, October 21-24 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through November 15: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sunday at 3 p.m. Industry Night is Monday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. No show Saturday, October 31. Tickets are $15-$50. 

Collaboraction’s season continues with the return of its critically acclaimed smash hit Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, February 3-March 14, 2027. Back by popular demand, Trial in the Delta is an unforgettable theatrical event that invites audiences to confront the truth, honor a legacy, and experience one of the greatest injustices of all time as if it were happening today.

On September 20, 1955, the trial of the men who murdered 12-year-old Emmett Till began in Sumner, Mississippi, and the world would never be the same. In this immersive, 90-minute live docudrama, Collaboraction transforms the long-buried trial transcript into a gripping theatrical experience that places audiences face-to-face with the people whose testimony spurred the civil rights movement. Actors seated among the audience rise to take the stand as witnesses for the prosecution and defense—including Mamie Till-Bradley—bringing raw, unfiltered history to life. The Chicago Reader called last year’s staging, the first production in Collaboraction’s new home in Humboldt Park, “a sharp reminder of how close the events of 70 years ago are to our own time.” The Chicago Tribune gave it 3-½ stars, noting it “makes plain the injustice of that moment.”

Collaboraction’s fourth remount of the award-winning Trial in the Delta, co-adapted by Willie Round and G. Riley Mills, co-directed by Anthony Moseley and Dana Anderson, will feature a powerhouse cast of returning artists, including NK Gutiérrez as Mamie Till-Bradley, along with new faces. 

Previews are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, February 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m. Performances continue through March 15: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Each show will be followed by a short Crucial Conversation. Tickets are $20-$60. Twelve premium seats inside the jury box are sold at every show. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (312) 226-9633 for more information.

Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till is presented in partnership with The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, as part of the Till Life Matters Initiative. Thanks to this relationship, Trial in the Delta was showcased at The Till Institute’s Emmett Till’s 85th Birthday Commemorative Dinner on July 31, the first public gala at the new Obama Presidential Center.

Also on stage this season at Collaboraction

Collaboration’s new You Belong Here series is keeping the company’s home in Humboldt Park activated year round. 

You Belong Here provides a new platform for independent artists and groups at any stage in their career, with an emphasis on those who live in proximity to the Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park. Curated by company member Sandra Delgado, the series is meant to take the barriers out of self-producing by providing free space and equipment, stage management, marketing and PR support and a generous door split model. 

To illustrate, You Belong Here shows this August at Collaboraction include:

Bilingual Improv School’s ¡El Showcase!, Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m.

A night of hard-core dance music with Silver October’s HEARTFELT HARDCORE, Friday, August 14 at 8 p.m.

Darshita Jain and Ghutarghoo Productions’ literary reading series Roomani, Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m.

The People’s Pot & Pantry, serving free, healthy meals to Chicago’s performing arts community, Monday, August 24 at 4 p.m.

The hilarious comedy variety show Max and Binkey: The Funktion, Wednesday, August 26 at 7 p.m.

Bilingual Improv School’s Cómo Se Dice?, Friday, August 28 at 7:30 p.m.

That’s not all. Collaboraction Executive Director Darlene Jackson, aka DJ Lady D, continues to present her new monthly gathering series, The Frequency. Collaboraction’s youth ensemble The Luminaries continues to take over the stage once a month with its open mic night, Radiate.

And Collaboraction looks forward to being a new host site for the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance’s Destinos Festival this fall.

For tickets and more information about any of these shows, visit collaboraction.org. To submit a You Belong Here performance proposal, visit collaboraction.org/you-belong-here.

Note: Free and nearby street parking is available near the Kimball Arts Center. For CTA riders, the 82 Kimball-Homan bus stops right in front of the building. The theater is also a short walk from the Kimball stop on the 72 North and 73 Armitage bus lines. For bikers and pedestrians, the Kimball trailhead on The 606 leads directly to the Kimball Arts Center. 

About Collaboraction

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, Collaboraction is an award-winning Chicago theater company that uses immersive, socially conscious performance to spark change and build equity. Across all platforms, Collaboraction uses its KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue, and Action - to spark changes in behavior and attitudes that manifest social change.

Collaboraction’s past work includes NBC Chicago’s three-time Emmy Award-winning The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta, the resulting live stage play film, Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, live productions of Crime Scene, Moonset Sunrise, A Blue Island In the Red Sea, its annual Peacebook and Sketchbook festivals, and its youth ensembles, The Light and The Luminaries.

Collaboraction receives generous operating support and program funding from the Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation, Gary Grube, the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts at the Chicago Community Trust, Naperville Rotary Club, Field Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Collaboraction is led by Darlene Jackson, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director; Anthony Moseley, Chief Programming Officer and Artistic Director; and a dedicated board, company members and staff.  For more information, visit collaboraction.org or follow Collaboraction on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok.

A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased open its 34^th Season, exploring the theme of "world on fire," with the Chicago premiere of Will Arbery's politically-charged drama Heroes of the Fourth Turning, directed by Ensemble member dado*, playing October 29 – December 6, 2026 at 1531 N. Wells St. in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Casting to be announced shortly. 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.

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Heroes of the Fourth Turning

Playwright: Will Arbery
Director: Ensemble member dado*
Cast: to be announced shortly

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

Dates: Previews: Thursday, October 29 at 7 pm, Friday, October 30 at 7 pm, Saturday, October 31 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 a performance on 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. 

Production sponsor: 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. 

Oil Lamp Theater, presenting I Love You Because, August 14 - September 13, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production, Dial M for Murder, October 2 - November 1, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott and directed by Daniel King, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The schedule includes two preview performances Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 3 at 3 p.m., with an opening performance Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Understudy Performance); Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Wednesday Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.  

Alfred Hitchcock’s adored, chilling thriller gets a modern twist that no one sees coming. A murderous misstep begins a high-stakes hunt for the real criminal as time is quickly running out. This captivating, heart-racing play leaves audiences on the edge of their seats while the mystery of the year unravels before their eyes. Will the clues unlock the right person, or will an innocent victim pay the price? The suspenseful play is to die for…

The cast of Dial M for Murder includes John Chambers (he/him, Tony Wendice); Charlotte Foster (she/her, Maxine Hadley); Paige Klopfenstein (she/her, Margot Wendice); Robert Austin Love (he/him, Lesgate); James Sparling (he/him, Inspector Hubbard); Cooper Bohn (he/him, Tony Wendice U/S); Ava Pirie (she/her, Maxine Hadley U/S); Daria Koon (she/they, Margot Wendice U/S); Thomas  Ferro (he/him, Lesgate U/S) and Matt Hellyer (he/him Inspector Hubbard U/S).

The production team includes Daniel King (he/him, director); Spencer Donovan (he/him, scenic designer); Taylor Pfenning (she/her, costume designer); Jamie Macpherson (she/her, intimacy choreographer and fight director); Conner Nicoson (they/them, technical director);  Connor Windle (she/her, production manager); Brenden Delcorio (he/him, stage manager); Rick Reid (he/him, sound designer); Gigi Bjork-Nelson (she/her, assistant stage manager) and Rose Leisner (she/her, company manager).

ABOUT DANIEL KING, DIRECTOR

Daniel King is a Queer director who is a company member of Three Crows Theatre and serves on the artistic advisory board for Bump in the Night Theatre (BiTN). Additional upcoming projects include The Mystery Plays (BiTN) and Iolanthe (Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company). Selected credits include The Drowning Girls (Jeff Nomination) and The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me (Three Crows), A Picasso (Elsinore), Gross Indecency and Fun Home (IU). King has a MFA in directing from  IU-Bloomington; a BFA in acting from Chicago College of Performing Arts and is a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER

Oil Lamp Theater is a professional nonprofit performing arts organization in Glenview, Illinois, welcoming over 10,000 patrons annually from more than 225 communities—41% from Glenview and others from across the North Shore and Chicago. Since establishing its intimate 60-seat home in downtown Glenview in 2012, Oil Lamp has grown into a cultural beacon, earning recognition as “Best Live Theatre in the North Shore” for four consecutive years.

With more than 70 productions to date, Oil Lamp is known for its dynamic Mainstage season, special events and its resilience during the pandemic, when it innovated with drive-in performances and outdoor productions. Today, the theatre continues to foster connection, broaden horizons and illuminate the human condition through professional theater and year-round programming.

In addition to its productions, Oil Lamp Theater operates Oil Lamp Academy, its education branch dedicated to “Training for Life Through the Performing Arts.” In 2025 alone, the program served more than 230 students ages three to 97 years old, offering classes that use theater as a pathway to build confidence, creativity and lifelong skills.

Oil Lamp launched Light The Way in 2025, a transformative fundraising campaign designed to expand arts education, strengthen essential staff and establish a larger performance venue with the goal of staying in downtown Glenview. And in July 2026, Oil Lamp announced its new future home will be at the former Ten Ninety Brewing Co. in Downtown Glenview, 1025 Waukegan Road, next to Oil Lamp Academy. Building on its roots as a scrappy storefront, Oil Lamp is evolving into a more robust organization—without losing the intimacy and warmth that define its theater experience. Oil Lamp Theater hopes this announcement inspires excitement throughout the community. Stay tuned as additional news is shared in the near future. For information or to support the campaign go to OilLampTheater.org/Light-the-Way or reach out to Oil Lamp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Oil Lamp Theater, presenting I Love You Because, August 14 - September 13, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its next production, Dial M for Murder, October 2 - November 1, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott and directed by Daniel King, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The schedule includes two preview performances Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 3 at 3 p.m., with an opening performance Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Understudy Performance); Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Wednesday Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $30 for previews and $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.  

 
About Joffrey's The Nutcracker 

Wheeldon's modern masterpiece rings in the holidays. Follow young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince on a whirlwind journey through the 1893 World's Fair—a dazzling spectacle of sights, sounds and enchantment. This annual tradition celebrates the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago like no other. 

Single tickets start at $47 and are available for purchase at Lyric Opera Box Office located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. and by telephone at 312.386.8905 or online at joffrey.org

The Joffrey Ballet holds open auditions for the Children's Cast of Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker at its downtown studios in Joffrey Tower, 10 East Randolph Street, Thursday, September 10 and Sunday, September 13, with a video submission audition for a specific role that closes at 9:00PM on Saturday, September 12. All students in the Chicagoland area with dance experience that meet casting criteria are welcome to audition.  This annual audition is for all young dancers, from any studio or school, interested in auditioning for Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker, whether they have participated in the Joffrey's Nutcracker in the past or not. The audition will be directed by artistic staff from The Joffrey Ballet.  For full audition details visit joffrey.org/nutcracker-childrens-cast/ 

Audition Times Based on Dancer Criteria 

Thursday, September 10 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | General Audition #1 

• Audition for dancers of all genders age 8 or older on audition day 

• Maximum height 4'7" (no minimum height) 

• Dancers may be asked to return to audition on Sunday, September 13 from 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM 

Sunday, September 13 | 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | General Audition #2 

• Auditions for male-identifying dancers ages 10 - 18 on audition day 

• Minimum height 4'7", maximum height 5'8" 

Sunday, September 13 | 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM | General Audition #3 

• Auditions for female and non-binary-identifying dancers ages 10 - 18 on audition day 

• Minimum height 4'7", maximum height 5'6" 

• Dancers may be released before 4:30 PM 

The age and height parameters are strict and students who do not fall within the parameters will not be admitted into the audition.  

Anytime through Saturday, September 12 at 9:00 PM 

Diverse movers are encouraged to submit a video audition for the role of Worker Child, performed in a non-motorized wheelchair specially crafted for The Nutcracker. Dance training is not required. Dancers should be comfortable waiting for long periods of time and performing silently in a group setting on a stage with bright lights, loud music, and a large audience. 

Video submissions close at 9:00 PM on Saturday, September 12

• Ages 10-18 on audition day. 

• Dancers of all genders. 

• No minimum or maximum height requirements. 

Registration 

Space is limited and pre-registration is required at least one day in advance of your audition. In-person forms will not be available. Registration Form can be found here. If you have questions about pre-registration, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

 
About Joffrey's The Nutcracker 

Wheeldon's modern masterpiece rings in the holidays. Follow young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince on a whirlwind journey through the 1893 World's Fair—a dazzling spectacle of sights, sounds and enchantment. This annual tradition celebrates the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago like no other. 

Single tickets start at $47 and are available for purchase at Lyric Opera Box Office located at 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. and by telephone at 312.386.8905 or online at joffrey.org

The Sarah Siddons Society is honored to present its 2026 Leading Artist Award to James Moore, Music Director and Conductor of Lincoln Center Theatre's Tony Award-winning revival of Ragtime.

Moore will be honored by the Society on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at The CheckOut, 4116 N. Clark St. in Chicago. Following a 6 pm cocktail reception, attendees will enjoy a musical tribute celebrating Moore's career featuring performances by Alfreda Burke, Jim Corti (original Ragtime cast), Rodrick Dixon (original Ragtime cast), Tom Michael and Zoé Sotores, under the music direction of Beckie Menzie and directed by Joan Curto. Single tickets ($125) and sponsorships are currently available at sarahsiddonssociety.org/events-list/2026/leading-artist-award.

The Leading Artist Award (formerly the Leading Lady Award and Leading Man Award) is given by the Sarah Siddons Society to a theatre artist of accomplishment who has a Chicago connection. Moore grew up in the Chicago area. Past recipients include David Cromer, Michael Greif, Courtney Reed, Dominic Missimi, Jackie Taylor, E. Faye Butler, Heidi Kettenring, Jim Corti and Rondi Reed, among others.

Sarah Siddons Society President Martin Balogh comments "The Sarah Siddons Society is extremely pleased to present its Leading Artist Award to James Moore in recognition of his extraordinary contributions as a musical director and conductor to countless Broadway productions. His exceptional artistry, dedication and influence have enriched the American theater and inspired audiences and performers alike. We are honored to celebrate his remarkable achievements with this well-deserved award."

About James Moore:

James Moore's credits include Lincoln Center Theatre: Ragtime, South Pacific. Broadway: Miss Saigon, Gigi, On the Town, Follies, Ragtime, Steel Pier, Company. Off-Broadway: Ragtime (City Center Gala), Road Show (Encores! Off-Center), The Pirates of Penzance (Public Theatre Gala). Tours: Les Misérables (Music Supervisor), The Producers, Kiss Me, Kate, Crazy for You, And The World Goes 'Round. Regional: Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Gypsy (The Muny), Titanic (Signature Theatre), The Music Man, Mame, (The Kennedy Center) Hello, Dolly! (Ford's Theatre). Guest conductor with The Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's. Education: Master and Bachelor of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

About Sarah Siddons Society

Since its inception, the mission of the Society has been to fund scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities including; The Theater Department, Columbia College; The Theatre School at DePaul University; Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Northwestern University School of Communications and the School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University. For additional information, visit sarahsiddonssociety.org.

Red Clay Dance Company, Chicago's premier Afro-contemporary dance company, proudly announces its exciting Season 18: Spectrum programming, including Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward's powerful evening-length work Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center in Evanston in October 2026, and a spring concert featuring work by Sanders-Ward alongside Rena Butler, Beatrice Capote and Bebe Miller at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago in April 2027.

For more information, concert updates and tickets, visit redclaydance.com/season18. Tickets for performances of Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar, October 1-3, 2026, are now available starting at $42, with discounts for students and seniors.

In its 18th season, Red Clay Dance Company celebrates the theme Spectrum, a reflection of how one bold vision has grown into a vibrant movement. Like light passing through a prism, the Company's founding mission has expanded into a diverse community of artists, students, educators, audiences, partners and supporters—each bringing their own unique brilliance to a shared purpose. Season 18: Spectrum honors the collective power of Artivism and the many voices that shape Red Clay Dance Company's story, celebrating the full spectrum of Artivists whose creativity, resilience and collective action are shaping a more just, vibrant and connected future.

"I am thrilled to welcome audiences to our 18th season, Spectrum. Every season is a milestone worth celebrating, and this one feels especially meaningful because it reflects the extraordinary village that has grown from one vision into a movement fueled by so many voices and spirits," says Red Clay Dance Company's Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward. "As we celebrate where we've been and look toward the future through our 1 Million Artivists Strong initiative, I hope this season reminds us all that our unique gifts shine brightest when they come together to create something greater than ourselves."

Season 18: Spectrum kicks off with a performance from Red Clay Dance Company during the free Chicago Live Festival at Navy Pier on Saturday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Fall 2026 concert Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar

In October, the Company stages a reprisal of Vershawn Sanders-Ward's powerful evening-length work Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center (1949 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL) from October 1–October 3, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. daily. A post-show discussion will be held in partnership with the Black Arts Consortium on opening night, October 1, moderated by Northwestern University Professor Thomas F. DeFrantz.

Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar honors the lives, stories and enduring legacy of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Performed by the award-winning Red Clay Dance Company ensemble, with original music by acclaimed Chicago musician Jamila Woods and costume design by Shaqui Reed and Alyna Michelle, the production blends Afro-contemporary dance, storytelling, digital media and immersive design to create a powerful and deeply resonant experience.

Inspired by The Black Girlhood Altar—the mixed-media installation created by A Long Walk Home artists Scheherazade Tillet and Robert Narcisco—this dance performance incorporates elements of the altar into its scenic and visual design, transforming the stage into a living sanctuary for remembrance, healing and collective action.

Spring 2027 concert at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago

Season 18: Spectrum continues with concerts from the Red Clay Dance Company ensemble at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (1306 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago) on April 8 and April 9, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. daily. The Company will perform Her Table by Rena Butler, Field: New Ground by Bebe Miller, Written on the Flesh by Vershawn Sanders-Ward, and a new work by Beatrice Capote.

Paint the Town Red fundraiser

Red Clay Dance Company's season concludes with its annual Paint the Town Red Fundraiser on Saturday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at Red Clay Dance Center (808 E. 63rd Street, Chicago). Themed A Spectrum Celebration, this evening of entertainment, community engagement and philanthropy supports Red Clay Dance Company's mission to awaken Glocal Artivism and empowerment through dance, and build the Company's 1 Million Artivists Strong initiative to connect and activate supporters who believe the arts can strengthen communities and move justice forward.

About the Season 18 choreographers

Vershawn Sanders-Ward is a visionary director, choreographer, educator, and Artivist who is transforming the landscape of contemporary dance through her art and activism. As the Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Red Clay Dance Company, she blends African diasporic dance forms with contemporary techniques, creating performances that inspire social change and provoke thought. A lifelong advocate for community empowerment, Vershawn uses dance as a platform to explore themes of identity, race, and justice.

She has earned numerous accolades, including the inaugural Walder Platform Award, a Dance/USA Artist Fellowship, a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Award, and a 3Arts Award. Most recently, she was selected as a 2026 Creation Fund Artist in support of her new interdisciplinary work, WE THE PEOPLE, and as a 2026 BTLI Artist-in-Residence, contributing to the creative development of the Bronzeville Trail through community-engaged artistic practice. She is also commissioned to create a new work for the University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance during the 2026–27 season.

Vershawn's choreography has been presented at prestigious institutions including Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago, with commissions extending across the United States and internationally. An accomplished educator, she holds an MFA in Dance from NYU. Her influence extends beyond the stage through her service as a Board Trustee for Dance/USA. A Community Impact Fellow for the Harvard Business School Club and a featured guest on PBS's The Expressway with Dulé Hill, Vershawn's commitment to equity and inclusion in the arts continues to shape the future of dance, culture, and civic engagement globally.

Rena Butler hails from Chicago and began her studies at The Chicago Academy for the Arts. She studied overseas at Taipei National University of the Arts in Taiwan, and received her BFA from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Rena performed with companies including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, AIM by Kyle Abraham, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, David Dorfman Dance, The Kevin Wynn Collection, Pasos Con Sabor Salsa Dance Company, and Gibney Company. Rena is a recipient of the prestigious 2019 Princess Grace Foundation Award for Choreography and San Francisco's 2024 Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. She has created works for Het Nationale Ballet in The Netherlands, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Opera's Orpheus and Euridice, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Norrdans in Sweden, AIM By Kyle Abraham, Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart, Germany, The Lyric Opera of Chicago's Proximity, Cincinnati Ballet, Le Ballet de L'Opéra Grand Avignon and Arles Youth Ballet Company in France, The New Orleans Museum of Modern Art, SALT Dance, a film for Third Coast Percussion x Devonté Hynes/Blood Orange, Oregon Ballet Theater, The Juilliard School, Oklahoma City Ballet, Parsons Dance, TEDxChicago Virtual Salon 3.0: Design Your Life, Charlotte Ballet, BalletX, and more. She was the featured cover story for Dance Magazine's November 2021 issue.

Beatrice Capote is a Cuban American dancer, choreographer, and educator, and the creator of Capotechnique™, a fusion of Afro-Cuban traditions and Contemporary dance. She is an Associate Professor of Contemporary Dance at Indiana University Bloomington and has received critical acclaim for her work, including her role as Yoruba Consultant and Choreographer for The Half God of Rainfall, which earned a 2023 AUDELCO Award nomination. Capote's choreography centers Afro-Cuban narratives and has been presented at major festivals and venues nationwide. She has collaborated with artists such as Angeìlique Kidjo, Paquito D'Rivera, and Wynton Marsalis, and performed with renowned dance companies including Camille A. Brown & Dancers, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, INSPIRT by Christal Brown, and others. Her honors include the 2024–2025 Mellon Foundation Hemisphere Guest Artist in Residence award. 

A native New Yorker, Bebe Miller first performed her choreography at NYC's Dance Theater Workshop in 1978. She formed Bebe Miller Company in 1985 to pursue her interest in finding a physical language for the human condition. Committed to keeping dance available to a wide spectrum of people and to further the conversation about the role of arts and creativity in our culture, Miller is dedicated to providing access to the creative process and expression to diverse communities. She has created more than 50 dance works for the company and has been commissioned and presented by 651 ARTS, BAM Next Wave, DTW, Jacob's Pillow, Joyce Theater, PICA, REDCAT, Walker Art Center, and Wexner Center for the Arts among others. Her choreography has been performed by Kyle Abraham's A.I.M. (Abraham In Motion), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Philadanco, Salt Lake City's Repertory Dance Theater, the UK's Phoenix Dance Company, PACT Dance Company of Johannesburg, South Africa, and at a host of colleges and universities including the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. Named a Master of African AmericanChoreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, Bebe has been a Movement Research honoree, has received four New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" awards, the David R. White Award from New York Live Arts, United States Artists and Guggenheim Fellowships, honorary doctorates from Ursinus College and Franklin & Marshall College, and is one of the inaugural class of Doris Duke Artist Award recipients. Bebe is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in The Ohio State University's Department of Dance and lives in Columbus, OH.

About Red Clay Dance Company

Led by Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Red Clay Dance Company is a Black women-led, Black-benefiting professional dance organization that moves the world through Artivism—the integration of art and activism to inspire social transformation. Rooted in the dances, histories, and movement technologies of the African Diaspora, Red Clay Dance creates, performs, and teaches work that uplifts Black voices, dismantles systemic inequities, and cultivates collective joy and liberation.

At the heart of the organization is our professional touring company, Red Clay Dance, Chicago's premier Afro-Contemporary dance ensemble. Now in its 17th season, this award-winning company serves as the artistic engine of Red Clay Dance Company, touring locally, nationally and internationally to share stories of the African Diaspora that challenge oppression, celebrate identity, and ignite agency. Red Clay Dance has graced renowned stages such as Jacob's Pillow, The Yard, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Harris Theater for Music & Dance, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the DuSable Museum of African American History, ODC Theater, Dance Mission Theater, The Painted Bride Art Center, and the National Theatre of Uganda. Through technically rigorous and culturally grounded performance, the company affirms African-rooted forms as powerful and enduring modes of innovation, expression, and resistance. 

The touring company's artistic excellence informs our education and community engagement programs, including Making the Artivist Apprenticeship and School/Community Education Partnerships, reaching more than 2,500 students and 4,000 families annually. From our home—the Red Clay Dance Center in Chicago's historic Woodlawn neighborhood—we provide access to high-quality dance training, mentorship, and professional development for artists and community members through our classes and In the Making Membership. Together, our ecosystem of touring, teaching, and training sustains a vibrant hub for Glocal Artivism—proving that dance is not just performance, but a pathway to equity, empowerment, and lasting change.

House of the Exquisite Corpse, Chicago’s one and only puppet haunted house, returns for its sixth Halloween season with a new, singularly immersive horror experience that’s sure to keep you up at night. 

House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES runs October 8-November 1 at The Merle at Steppenwolf Theatre. Six teams of Chicago artists will bring life to six unique puppet terror experiences, each tuning into the horrors embedded in LULLABIES as the unifying theme.

Enter House of the Exquisite Corpse, if you dare. Guests gather in a make-shift foyer, grabbing a drink for some liquid courage if needed (horrifying specialty cocktail TBA). Then, small groups are ushered inside via timed entries, where they encounter a dark and murky expanse. They proceed to visit six “rooms” -- rooms of true puppet theater horror ---- peering through keyholes, cracks, and hidden doors to witness the carnage and gallows humor inside.

Fans of immersive experiences, haunted houses, literature, puppetry and live theater are the ideal audience for Chicago’s most unique Halloween destination. As the Chicago Reader put it, “if you want to move beyond schlock and shock into an elevated horror experience this October, look no further than House of the Exquisite Corpse.”

Considering this year’s theme, “Who left that baby in a tree? What happens after that cradle falls?” asks director Corey Smith, veteran of House of the Exquisite Corpse and co-director of last year's triumphant BLOOD & PUPPETS. “The lullaby promises motherly comfort, but our explorations uncovered something darker underneath — a plea for control in an uncontrollable world. The truth is that our mothers cannot save us, no matter how deeply we wish they could. We live in a smoke-drenched, waking apocalypse. We have to give our kin a way to process this desperation, this existential terror. What better way than a song at the cusp of a dream?”

Don’t sleep on this opportunity to experience a wildly creative, collaborative installation that blurs the lines between horror, puppetry and theater. House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES runs October 8-November 1: Thursdays through Saturdays, with timed entries starting at 6:50 p.m., continuing every 15 minutes until the last entry at 9:30 p.m. New this year! Sunday matinees, starting at 1:50 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at roughhousetheater.com/tickets. Sliding scale, Pay What You Can suggested prices are $22 to $47. Note: This production is recommended for ages 13 and over. 

Also new this year is an All-Inclusive Package with ALL the perks: the show, a drink ticket, a giveaway at entry and the coveted backstage tour. These are available Thursdays and Sundays only, October 8-October 25, last entry time. Packages are $75 plus $3 booking fee.

Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space is located at 1624 N. Halsted in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood, just steps away from the CTA Red Line stop at North and Clybourn. 

Meet the Artists: House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES

House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES is directed by Corey Smith. The six artistic teams are:

Room 1: Creators Vim Hile and Tanima, performed by Camille Mitchell and Casey Doe

Room 2: Creators Charlie Malave and Caitlin McLeod, performed by Finn Bradley, Eddy Barber-Rozema, Rachel Hartmann and Emilie Wingate
Room 3: Creators madigan burke, Zhen Heinemann and Andy Slater, performed by Lindsey Ball and Candice Conner

Room 4: Creators Leah Lara and Dionne, performed by Samuel J. Lewis II and Tia Pinson

Room 5: Creators Saskia Bakker and Ruby Que, performed by Khalil Smith and Alexander Ferguson

Room 6: Creators J. Felix and Abby Palen, performed by Mallory Kimbrell and Shannon Twenter

The 2026 production team includes director Corey Smith, with lobby immersion by Jacqueline Wade and Sion Silva, environmental design by Melissa Schlesinger, Jackie Berland, Ken Buckingham and Nina D'Angier, and sound design by Mike Meegan. Associate sound designer is Joey Meland. Production stage manager is Kacey Lindeman. Stage managers are Emi Cruz and Tess Duncan.

More about Rough House Puppet Arts

Rough House Puppet Arts is on a mission to connect individuals and communities through puppetry-arts that celebrate the weird things that make us unique, and the weirder things that bring us together. Through programs designed to enrich the artist, the art form, and the community, Rough House works towards a vision of Chicago as an increasingly robust, diverse, and inclusive epicenter of contemporary puppet theater.

The company’s work collides puppetry with physical theater, music, visual arts, and an insatiable taste for experimentation. In addition to its own productions, Rough House’s work has performed at the National Puppetry Festival and The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, and in punk houses, funeral parlors, a lotion factory, and the woods of Appalachia. 

Each October, Rough House creates an all-new immersive puppet horror production. Beginning with the Harrow House series (2018, 2019), the project is now in its sixth year under the title House of the Exquisite Corpse—a themed anthology of puppetry-performance installations, viewed by audiences through peep-holes in Chicago’s most artful, most haunted pop-up house. 

Chicago’s beloved Nasty, Brutish & Short: A Puppet Cabaret, named “Best late-night adult-content puppet cabaret” by the Chicago Reader in 2024, is also a Rough House Puppet Arts production. Funded in part by the Puppet Slam Network, this quarterly cabaret doubles as an evening of contemporary short-form puppet and object-based theater for adult audiences, and a low-risk environment for artists to perform new and experimental work and foster artistic exchange between puppet artists of different generations and mediums. Nasty, Brutish & Short is presented  at Constellation, 3111 W. Western Ave. in Chicago. The next Nasty, Brutish & Short  is Friday, August 14 at 8 p.m. For tickets and information, visit roughhousetheater.com/nbs.

This year, Rough House Puppet Arts also presents Out With It, a wordless performance of movement, performance, clown and puppetry created and performed by Rough House Executive Artistic Director Claire Saxe. Out With It will have one Chicago performance, Monday, August 24 at iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingery St. in Chicago, before heading out on a national tour. For tickets and information, visit roughhousetheater.com/show/outwithit.

In addition to performances, Rough House is active year round fostering and expanding the art of contemporary puppetry with workshops for puppeteers and anyone interested in the form. Up next is Telling Your Own Story through Puppetry led by Chicago puppet artists Samuel J. Lewis and Lindsay Ball, Saturday, August 22 at 2 p.m. at Agitator Artist Collective, 3851
W. Fullerton Ave. in Logan Square. Go to roughhousetheater.com/tickets.

Rough House Puppet Arts’ Board of Directors includes Kacie Smith (President), Jason Estremera (Treasurer), Savannah Rouse (Secretary), Antonio Luna, Karlyn Meyer, Mike Wydrzynski and Mike Oleon, Rough House’s co-founder and former co-artistic director.

The Rough House administrative team includes Claire Saxe, Executive Artistic Director; Marcey Abramovitz, Managing Director; Kimzyn Campbell, Marketing and Communications Director; Samuel J. Lewis II, Manager of Artist Advancement; Kevin Michael Wesson, Community Programs Manager; and Cailtin McLeod and Myra Su, Cabaret Curators.

For more information, visit RoughHousePuppets.org and follow the company on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.