COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA Comes to American Blues Theater
The production is directed by Associate Artistic Director Elyse Dolan.
By: Stephi Wild Jan. 13, 2026
American Blues Theater will continue its 40th anniversary season with the reimagined classic Come Back, Little Sheba by William Inge and directed by Associate Artistic Director Elyse Dolan. Come Back, Little Sheba runs February 6 - March 22, 2026, in the American Blues Theater Studio Theater at 5627 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago.
With only 31 seats per performance, the Studio Theater immerses the audience directly in the Delaney's living room. This up-close, explosive, and deeply personal experience lets viewers feel every emotional beat as if they were part of the family drama unfolding on stage. Due to the limited seating in the Studio Theater, the press openings are scheduled for Thursday, February 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM and Friday, February 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
The cast of Come Back, Little Sheba features ensemble members Philip Earl Johnson (Doc Delaney), Joslyn Jones (Mrs. Coffman), and Gwendolyn Whiteside (Lola Delaney); artistic affiliates Maya Lou Hlava (Marie), Cisco Lopez (Milkman), and William Anthony Sebastian Rose II (Postman / Elmo); and performers Justin Banks (Bruce), Ethan Serpan (Turk), and Zach Shultz (Ed & Voice).
Midwest town. Forced into marriage due to an unexpected pregnancy, former beauty queen Lola and recovering alcoholic Doc live a quiet life of heartbreak and regret until Marie, a young college student, becomes their boarder.
Director Elyse Dolan comments, "One of the great gifts of working in an ensemble theater is the level of earned trust between artists, and on a show like Come Back, Little Sheba, that trust is everything. This isn't a mid-century museum exhibit. We want audiences to sit in the Delaneys' parlor and experience the emotional wallop of this show firsthand. Though written 75 years ago, the struggles and pressures that Lola, Doc, and Marie face still feel deeply relevant today.”
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