BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN & More Set For Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 2025/26 Season Lineup

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes have announced the 2025/26 season lineup. The season includes 12 productions across CST’s three stages, with two world premieres, three North American premieres, and six Shakespeare and Shakespeare-adjacent productions.

More than 50% of CST’s 358 performances next season are either written by or inspired by Shakespeare. The season also features international presentations from England, Ethiopia, and New Zealand.

Edward Hall said, “This upcoming season is bold—and promises to entertain, invigorate, and engage you with unforgettable stories that remind us of our shared humanity.”

Kimberly Motes added, “Our 2025/26 Season reflects the work we are producing and the breadth of voices we share on our stages.”

The 2025/26 season begins this summer with Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams, a high-flying acrobatic performance. The world premiere of Billie Jean by Lauren Gunderson follows, telling the story of sports icon Billie Jean King. Shakes in the City: A Midsummer Night’s Dream will offer free performances across Chicago.

The fall season opens with a reimagined production of Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show, directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. and André De Shields. CST will also produce the world premiere of Rome Sweet Rome by Q Brothers Collective, based on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

For Halloween, CST will launch the North American premiere of Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage, an original play inspired by the popular film franchise. The holiday season will feature Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Selina Cadell.

Winter 2026 brings Short Shakespeare! Hamlet, directed by Edward Hall, with performances for students and the public. The Royal Shakespeare Company returns to CST with the U.S. premiere of Hamnet, adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel.

In the spring, audiences will see The Merry Wives of Windsor, directed by Phillip Breen, and New Zealand’s Indian Ink Theatre presents Mrs. Krishnan’s Party. The season concludes with the North American premiere of Brokeback Mountain, adapted by Ashley Robinson and directed by Jonathan Butterell.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s 2025/26 Season Lineup

Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

Co-Created & Produced by Mehari "Bibi" Tesfamariam
Co-Created & Directed by Binyam “Bichu” Shimellis
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
July 10–August 3, 2025

Billie Jean (World Premiere)

By Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Marc Bruni
The Yard
July 18–August 10, 2025

Shakes in the City: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare
Adapted and originally staged by Edward Hall
Free performances across Chicago
July 19–August 17, 2025

Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show

Created and originally directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Murray Horwitz
Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. and André De Shields
The Yard
September 3–28, 2025

Rome Sweet Rome (World Premiere)

Created and Directed by Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, JAX & POS)
Based on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
September 23–October 19, 2025

Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage (North American Premiere)

Written by Levi Holloway
Directed by Felix Barrett
The Yard
October 15–November 2, 2025

Much Ado About Nothing

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Selina Cadell
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
November 16–December 21, 2025

Short Shakespeare! Hamlet

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Edward Hall
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
January 27–February 28, 2026

Hamnet (U.S. Premiere)

Presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions
Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti
Directed by Erica Whyman
The Yard
February 10–March 8, 2026

The Merry Wives of Windsor

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Phillip Breen
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
April 2–May 3, 2026

Mrs. Krishnan’s Party (North American Premiere)

By Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis
Directed by Justin Lewis
Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio
April 7–April 26, 2026

Brokeback Mountain (North American Premiere)

By Ashley Robinson
Songs by Dan Gillespie Sells
Based on the short story by Annie Proulx
Directed by Jonathan Butterell
The Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
May 28–June 28, 2026