Theatre with a side of life
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents PLAY ON! Viola is a songwriter. Her dreams take her to New York where the Duke is king. To meet her idol, Viola disguises herself as a guy. The Duke is impressed by Vy-man and coerces him (Viola) to woo his estranged muse, Lady Liv. Vy-man’s persuasion works too well. Lady Liv ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the North American Premiere of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Ennis doesn’t say much. Jack says everything! Two strangers are assigned to work together herding sheep. In the vast isolation of a mountain, they discover within themselves and each other a magnetic attraction. Their fiery passion is the answer to their loneliness. They have each ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the World Premiere of FAULT. An affluent couple are partners in marriage and business. When Jerry arrives home to celebrate his biggest deal ever, Lucy shocks him with her own big deal. Both surprises force them to reevaluate their relationship. As they dissect their past to determine responsibility, they coerce a guilty ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the US premiere of HAMNET by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Agnes is a free spirit. William is a Latin tutor. They fall in love, get married and have a family. Author Maggie O’Farrell imagines the woman left behind in Stratford as the playwright pursued an extraordinary fate in London. Who was Mrs. ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Beatrice and Benedick despise each other. Their encounters are battles of wit dripping in disdain. Beatrice is the niece of the Governor of Messina. Benedick the loyal soldier to the Prince, Don Pedro. While the Prince is visiting Messina, he decides to play matchmaker. Besides wooing the Governor’s ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater and American Conservatory Theater, by special arrangement with Paramount Pictures and Melting Pot in co-production with Center Theatre Group, presents the North American premiere of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. Lou and Jimmy recently moved to London. They are looking for a fresh start after Lulu’s ‘difficulties’ in Chicago. As the couple settle into their new ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents ROME SWEET ROME. Caesar rules! His military prowess and ambitious calculus has garnered Rome and himself riches and power. Lately, his governing style has shifted from democracy to dictatorship. He’s forced the government to name him ‘Emperor for Life.’ He’s also erected a huge statue to himself of himself. And if that ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents CIRCUS ABYSSINIA: ETHIOPIAN DREAMS. Mehari “Bibi” Tesfamariam and Binyam “Bichu” Shimellis grew up dreaming of joining the circus. Brothers Bibi and Bichu worked hard to become jugglers. They taught themselves at a young age and later studied abroad. After perfecting their craft, they returned to their Ethiopian home to co-create and produce ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents the North American premiere of 42 BALLOONS. Did you know in 1982 a truck driver named Larry Walters ascended 16,000 feet in a lawn chair tied to 42 balloons? Jack Godfrey (book, music, lyrics) tells the true story of a man chasing his fantastical dream. Larry wanted to be a pilot in the ...
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents HYMN. Two men meet. Each is grieving. Their childhoods have led to very different adult outcomes. They are both searching for something missing. Can they find it in each other? Playwright Lolita Chakrabarti tells the tale of two strangers in their fifties. When their paths cross accidentally, they share ...