HERE ARE SOME PLAYS WE LIKE to Present Expanded 2026 Reading Series
The Ravenswood venue is/was brewing will host readings including an adaptation of Shirley Jackson's WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE.
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Chicago's Here Are Some Plays We Like has unveiled the artists and plays in their 2026 lineup, an expansion to their annual reading series. Now in its fourth year, the series will run from October 4 - November 8, 2026 at is/was brewing, 5121 N Ravenswood Ave. PWYC
Here Are Some Plays continues its mission of supporting artists and projects that excite them. For its fourth year, the series is expanding in both name and scope, becoming Here Are Some Plays We Like. The new name reflects a growing community of artistic collaborators coming together to champion work they are excited about. This year's series brings past collaborators together with new creative partners to help produce and shape a lineup of stage readings that reflect a wide range of tastes, interests, and creative impulses.
Long-time collaborator Isabel Rivera shares, 'Here Are Some Plays We Like feels like a return to what made me fall in love with theater. It was just getting in a room with people who love exploring stories.' Rivera's earliest involvement spans back to 2023 with reading stage directions for Juniper Jones and Rocket She Built. 'Part of what took me out of the industry became so much about the networking and who do you know ... it felt like we forgot play and how to have fun with it. We all fell in love with this because we all just wanted to be around people we enjoy telling stories we love.' Rivera returns this year to Here Are Some Plays We Like as an Artistic Producer for DING DING HONK HONK-supporting the new play development process-and WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE.
The 2026 play lineup for Here Are Some Plays We Like includes Jenny Rachel Weiner's HORSE GIRLS, Kevin Blair's DING DING HONK HONK, Adrienne Kennedy's DIARY OF LIGHTS: NEW YORK ABOUT 1955, Michel Marc Bouchard's TOM AT THE FARM, Katherine Gwynn's LONE WOLVES, and Paul Edwards' Adaptation of Shirley Jackson's WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE.
'When you're following an artist's passion , wherever it may lead, it can mean anything from new works by local playwrights to uncovering a hidden gem from nearly 40 years ago,' said AJ Schwartz who started the series in their living room in 2023. This year's reading series will take place at is/was brewing, a Chicago-based producer of artisanal beer. The partnership reflects HASPWL's continued investment in building community through art with each staged reading followed by the series' signature afterparty. 'We want to make it fun to see a play. These aren't just come-in-sit-down-go-home play readings, they're parties! Grab a drink with us before and stick around after to mingle, dance, and maybe even get a little messy with us.'
Tickets ($10 - $30) are available at herearesomeplays.com.
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