HAYWARD to Open at The Gift Theatre's 25th Anniversary
The production, directed by AmBer Montgomery, features ensemble members Shanésia Davis and Gregory Fenner alongside guest artists at Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre.
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The Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, will continue its 25th Anniversary Season with the world premiere of Hayward by Gift ensemble member Netta Walker, directed by AmBer Montgomery. Presented in Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N Halsted St in Chicago, Hayward runs October 14 - November 15, 2026. The opening is Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 6:00 pm.
Tickets, priced at $45-50, are on sale now through Steppenwolf Theatre Company's box office, http://steppenwolf.org/hayward, and (312) 335-1650. Presenting this production during the Gift's anniversary season in Steppenwolf Theatre's 1700 Theatre feels like a homecoming for the company. Many in the ensemble first met at The School at Steppenwolf, and those experiences shaped how the company thinks about telling stories.
The cast features Gift ensemble members Shanésia Davis and Gregory Fenner and guest artists Ireon Roach, Sydney Charles, Victor Musoni, Watson Swift, and Alfred H. Wilson.
The creative team is AmBer Montgomery (director), Martel Manning (assistant director), Sydney Lynne (scenic designer), Daniella Brown (sound designer), Saawan Tiwari (Costume Designer), G. "Max" Maxin (lighting designer), Mariah Bennett (props designer), Maya Vinice Prentiss (violence director), Sarah Luse (stage manager), Dorothy Craven (assistant stage manager), Tom Daniel (technical director and Jennifer Aparicio (production manager). Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse are co-artistic directors.
Hayward reimagines Hamlet and Electra through the eyes of Luna, who reveals to her family - on the day of their father's funeral - that his ghost has come to see her. Beneath the haunting, this is a love story: a daughter's love for her father, and the complicated, unresolved feelings he left behind. The story follows a family shaped by the trauma passed down by a father who served in the Navy during the Gulf War. Across grief, they reach for each other, trying, imperfectly, to come back together.
Developed through the Pearl Cleage Writers Workshop with Goodman Theatre and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, and named a semifinalist for the 2025 Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, Hayward is exactly the kind of bold new work The Gift Theatre was built to tell.
The Gift Theatre Co-Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse comment, 'We are so excited to produce this powerful world premiere by Ensemble Member Netta Walker. As one of our newest ensemble members, Netta's history with The Gift goes back 10 years, beginning in 2017 when she understudied The Grapes of Wrath in her first professional play. After last summer's sold-out In the Works reading of Hayward, we are thrilled to bring this beautiful and deeply personal play to the stage.'
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