Midsommer Flight To Present Staged Reading Of Catherine The Great’s Comedy OH, THESE TIMES!
The one-night-only event will take place August 12 at The Understudy in Chicago.
By: A.A. Cristi Jul. 30, 2025
Midsommer Flight will present a one-night-only staged reading of Oh, These Times!, a satirical one-act play by Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, on August 12, 2025 at The Understudy (5531 N Clark St, Chicago).
Directed by ensemble member Ebby Offord, the reading is part of the company’s annual collaboration with Expand the Canon, a program celebrating historic plays by women and gender-expansive writers.
Written in 1772, Oh, These Times! was translated by Lurana Donnels O’Malley and presents a biting social comedy in which every character lives in a state of panic and contradiction. A maid attempts to help her naive mistress marry a sweet but awkward suitor, while navigating a grandmother’s snobbery and a parade of scheming neighbors. Described as prefiguring Chekhov’s comedic sensibility by a century, the play examines class anxiety, romantic delusion, and social hypocrisy with a sharp comic edge.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can and reservations can be made at theunderstudy.com/events. For more information, visit midsommerflight.com.
Presented by special arrangement with translator Lurana Donnels O'Malley, the reading continues Midsommer Flight’s mission to uplift rarely produced classical texts and promote gender equity in the theatrical canon.
Now in its fifth year, Expand the Canon highlights overlooked classic plays by women and underrepresented genders. The program’s curated lists have informed university curricula and productions at major companies such as Roundabout Theatre, Classic Stage Company, and the Stratford Festival. More details and resources are available at expandthecanon.com.
Chicago Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)
6.7% of votes
2.
RENT (Highland Park Players)
6.6% of votes
3.
DREAMGIRLS (The Drama Group)
6.4% of votes
Videos