Theatre with a side of life
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, presents PERICLES. After a thirty year absence, RSC returns to Chicago with its production of a lesser known Shakespearean play. Pericles is a young ruler exploring other lands. In Act One, a shipwreck brings him to the shores of Pentapolis where he falls in love and ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents HENRY V. Playwright William Shakespeare penned the tale of the young King of England invading France. He wrote of the motivations, negotiations, and ramifications of war. His depiction is a history lesson of the Battle Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War. Shakespeare utilized a multitude of characters, nobles and commoners, ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the U.S. Premiere of THE LORD OF THE RINGS - A Musical Tale. Both diehard Tolkien fans and complete novices to Middle Earth will enjoy the epic storytelling in Chicago Shakes’ latest production. The creative team of Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus (books and lyrics) bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy from page ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater, in association with Andy Jones and Dylan Pager, presents THE ENIGMATIST: David Kwong a magician, crossword constructor and master class storyteller! THE ENIGMATIST is a show like no other. And it really starts before it begins. Audience members are encouraged to arrive 20-30 minutes before curtain to wander through the puzzle garden. Each ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the World Premiere of JUDGEMENT DAY. Tony and Emmy Award-Winning Actor Jason Alexander brings his iconic George- Costanza-style-humor to Chicago. Alexander (Sammy) is starring in a new show about a morally bankrupt man grappling with the great beyond. After a near-death experience, Sammy learns that God and heaven exist. This realization makes ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents ILLINOISE a new kind of musical. In 2005, singer, songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens debuted his album “Illinois.” Stevens’ songs told the simplistic and complex eccentricities of Midwestern life. His composition had surprising depth as he weaved stories of aliens, zombies, serial killers, comic books, mental health and first loves into music. ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents a WorldStage Event from Scotland, ISLANDER the Musical. ISLANDER captivates with its unique storytelling. Human song and spoken word mingle together with the clicks and pulsed calls of whales. Two performers, Lois Craig and Julia Murray, tell the tale onstage with a couple microphones, a soundboard, minimal scenery and ample talent. Craig ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents TWELFTH NIGHT. William Shakespeare tells a tale of shipwreck, romance and mistaken identities. A violent storm, maroons and separates twins on an island. Unable to find her brother, Viola disguises herself as a male page named “Cesario.” She works for Orsino. When Orsino sends “Cesario” with a message to Olivia, she falls ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents Disney BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. A tale as old as time… The girl meets beast is a well-known fairytale. Disney has produced their musical version in multiple ways; animated film (1991), Broadway stage (1993), full movie (2017), and television special (2022). The show features a memorable score that includes the romantic ballad “Beauty ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents COMEDY OF ERRORS. Shakespeare’s tale of two sets of identical twins is a lampoon of shipwreck separation, mistaken identities and alternative twin sets. This established Shakes comedy is already a character-heavy farce. Director Barbara Gaines escalates the absurdity by framing the play as a movie. The movie is being produced to cheer ...