GIRLS & BOYS To Have Midwest Premiere at Griffin Theatre Company

Griffin Theatre Company has announced the Midwest premiere of Girls & Boys, a one-woman play by acclaimed British playwright Dennis Kelly, directed by Robin Witt, running July 11 – August 16, 2025, at Bramble Arts Loft (5545 N Clark St, Chicago).

Cynthia Marker takes on the tour-de-force role of “Woman” in this powerful 90-minute solo performance. Girls & Boys begins as a witty recollection of a whirlwind romance but slowly unravels into a darker meditation on love, ambition, and the unseen cracks in seemingly perfect lives.

Previews will be held July 11, 12, 13, 17, and 18,, opening on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Regular performances run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to $43 and go on sale Friday, June 6 at GriffinTheatre.com.

Robin Witt—who helmed Griffin’s Men Should Weep and London Wall, both Jeff Award-winning productions—returns to direct. Witt is known for her deft touch with emotionally nuanced work and previously directed Kelly’s Love and Money at Steep Theatre.

About the Play:

Originally produced at London’s Royal Court Theatre and later transferred to the West End, Girls & Boys is a searing, suspenseful monologue that challenges assumptions about relationships, power, and the stories we tell ourselves. It’s a raw and timely portrait of one woman’s resilience in the face of unthinkable loss.

About the Playwright:

Dennis Kelly is best known to U.S. audiences for co-writing Matilda the Musical and for his widely studied play DNA. His sharp, unflinching style has earned him a reputation for probing the emotional and societal undercurrents of modern life.

About Griffin Theatre:

Founded in 1988, Griffin Theatre Company is a leader in bold, transformative theatre for youth and adults. With over 140 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and a commitment to new work and literary adaptations, the company continues to shape the Chicago theatre landscape with vision and heart.