A large group of people pose and smile together in a cozy room with bookshelves, decorative ceiling, and warm lighting. Most are casually dressed and relaxed as they look at the camera.

Let Composers Rock Instrumental Theatre Company introduces the Chicago Theatre Composers Club.

Robert Eric Shoemaker August 17, 2026

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Smiling woman with long braided hair wears a red leather vest over a patterned shirt, large earrings, and jewelry, standing against a white background.

Comedian Kellye Howard Doesn’t Mess Around With MS Howard's nonprofit helps people with multiple sclerosis find a way to laugh through the pain and live for today.

Carl Kozlowski August 14, 2026

Squares of translucent material with embedded objects are attached to a wall, illuminated by green and blue reflections that resemble water or nature scenes. The atmosphere is calm and artistic.

It Was a Pleasure To Burn Non:op’s "Inventory of Lost Books" immerses itself in design and abstraction.

Robert Eric Shoemaker August 12, 2026

Two dancers in flowing burgundy and rose costumes pose gracefully against a gray background, one leaning back with her skirt flared, the other supporting her, both displaying expressive movement and emotion.

Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Honors Legacy Bearers in Dancing the Archive at the Harris Theater "We’ve been through this before. We've been through erasure. We’re asking the legacy bearers how they got through it."

Sharon Hoyer August 11, 2026

FEATURED STORIES

A woman in old-fashioned clothing holds a broom and stands in front of a white sheet, with a man’s shadow cast behind her. Beside her is a wooden rocking chair, a chest, and a portrait on the wall.

Gwydion Reclaims the Risk-Taking Heritage of Chicago Storefront Theater These recent transplants represent a new generation of theater artists who have chosen this city based on its reputation as a place open to brash, bright young thespians willing to do their own thing on their own terms.

Two performers, one wearing a large theatrical mask and carrying a suitcase, embrace warmly on a dimly lit stage with dark brick walls in the background.

From Dance to Circus: A Riotous Journey with Physical Theater Festival The annual festival brings many performance types under its umbrella.

A barefoot man in a black outfit and cap sits with arms crossed on a large stone, with one leg extended and the other bent, against a plain concrete wall background.

Round and About: The Driehaus Dance of Brendan Fernandes Fernandes’ practice encompasses just about any medium you can name—dance, sculpture and design, textiles and fashion, photography and film—and is often in conversation with the spaces that contain it.

A man with gray hair wearing a blue suit jacket stands against a blue brick wall, looking at the camera with his hand partially covering his mouth.

The Science Behind “Theater of the Mind” David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's immersive theater project combines neuroscience experiments, art and storytelling.

Five actors perform on a dimly lit stage, with two kneeling and embracing at center. A couch, props, and dramatic lighting set an emotional, theatrical scene.

Broadway in Chicago’s “The Notebook” Shows Love Through the Ages Bring a tissue to this retelling of a modern classic at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, which adds details that greatly expand the experience.

Tristan Bruns August 10, 2026

Two men in suits stand in a room with arched ceilings, facing a seated woman. Another person sits in the background at a table. The scene is dimly lit with lamps and chandeliers.

Gift Theatre’s “Marble” Starts Strong Before Going Cold and Hard Endings are never easy, but rarely does a play that begins so well move so decisively in the wrong direction as does Marina Carr’s 2009 work, an Irish dramedy that’s almost salvaged by a quartet of powerful performances.

Hugh Iglarsh August 7, 2026

Three actors perform on stage; one reclines on a bed in a blue coat, holding a map and gazing at another in green, while a third sits nearby in pink, watching the interaction. The setting suggests a theatrical, possibly comedic, scene.

“yo ho.” Is a Queer Love Story Set on the High Seas The world premiere from Babes With Blades Theatre Company is a comic twist on the fabled romance between the noted pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny.

Rob Silverman Ascher August 6, 2026

A woman with long curly hair, glasses, and visible arm tattoos is holding a microphone and speaking on stage, smiling against a dark background.

The Windy City Comedy Fest Is a Lollapalooza for Laughs Comedy-lovers will revel in this four-day festival founded by Ariel Julie, featuring more than twenty shows across nine of the city’s most iconic comedy venues.

Carl Kozlowski August 5, 2026

A dancer in a red outfit poses gracefully in front of a large red abstract metal sculpture in an urban plaza, surrounded by tall glass buildings and parked cars.

The Long and Lively Life of “Dance For Life,” Where Dancers Help Dancers The annual benefit to alleviate the cost of medical care for folks in Chicago’s dance community, now in its thirty-fifth year, was born during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Sharon Hoyer August 4, 2026