POT GIRLS Comes to The Story Theatre in February

The Story Theatre will close its Season V with the world premiere production of Pot Girls by Governing Ensemble member Paul Michael Thomson* and directed by Governing Ensemble member Ayanna Bria Bakari*. This new play about the power of women, words and weed will play February 12 – March 1, 2026 on Raven Theatre's Schwartz Stage, 6157 N. Clark St (at Granville) in Chicago, with multiple possible extensions.

The production will feature Governing Ensemble member Brenna DiStasio* with Myah Bridgewater, Peter Ferneding, Tamsen Glaser, Emily Marso, Ireon Roach and Laney Rodriguez. Understudies include Jack Bowes, Sierra Coachman, Jennifer Ledesma, Lizzy Mosher and Hannah Rule.

What is the duty of the artist? Well, tonight, her only duty is to get stoned and celebrate! Caryl is getting her first big Olivier-eligible production with a smart, sexy new play that centers women in the workplace. Her nearest and dearest friends – an assortment of feminist writers from throughout space and time – come to her London flat to kiki and drink grasshoppers. (Did we mention it's 1982?) But when the party's over and Caryl is presented with the ways her new play may be causing harm, she must decide whether or not she'll learn from history or else abdicate her responsibility altogether. What is the role of critique in creation? Can we judge the artist's politics by the artwork's problems? And is any of our art really activism?

An intertextual riff on Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, Pot Girls will run in creative conversation with Raven Theatre's production of Top Girls directed by Lucky Stiff and running on Raven Theatre's Johnson Stage from February 12 – March 22, 2026 The Story Theatre has been the storefront company in residence at Raven Theatre since 2019, and both companies are excited about this new chapter of artistic collaboration. The companies will offer “marathon days” where audiences have the opportunity to experience a matinee of Top Girls, a special event with the creative teams, and then an evening showing of Pot Girls – all at a discounted rate.

The production team for Pot Girls includes Katelyn Montgomery (Scenic Design), Racquel Postilgione (Costume Design), Seojung Jang (Lighting Design), Ellie Fey (Assistant Lighting Design), Gina Montalvo (Sound Design), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Properties Design), Jyreika Guest (Intimacy Direction), Stina Taylor (Technical Direction), Eva Breneman (Dialect Coaching), Emma Sipora Tyler (Dramaturgy), Anastar Alvarez (Stage Manager), Liv Morris (Assistant Stage Manager), Shelbi Weaver (Production Manager), Mark Brown (Master Electrician), David Hagen (Director of Design), Marlene Slaughter (Assistant Director) and Terry Guest* and Brianna Buckley (Producers).

*Denotes a member of The Story Theatre's Governing Ensemble