Photos: THE 17TH ANNUAL LIVING NEWSPAPER FESTIVAL Continues at Jackalope Theatre

The festival of five one-act plays inspired by recent news headlines continues through August 24.

By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 21, 2026

Photos: THE 17TH ANNUAL LIVING NEWSPAPER FESTIVAL Continues at Jackalope Theatre

Jackalope Theatre Company is presenting the 17th Annual Living Newspaper Festival, now playing through August 24 at the Jackalope Theatre in the Broadway Armory. See photos of the production.

Inspired by the Living Newspapers of the 1930s Federal Theatre Project, the festival presents five one-act plays inspired by recent news headlines each night. Performances run 90 minutes with no intermission.

The remaining performance schedule includes Friday, August 21 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m. and Monday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m.

The festival lineup includes Picture Day by Madie Doppelt, directed by Breon Arzell and featuring Miriam Lee, Niko Kourtis and Reilly Oh. Inspired by reports surrounding a school photography company in Coulee Dam, Washington, the play follows parents who take matters into their own hands as concerns emerge ahead of an upcoming school picture day.

Let Them Eat Cake, written by Anelga Hajjar and directed by Kaiser Ahmed, features Yourtana Sulaiman, Chris Chmelik and Claudia Quesada. Inspired by reports about the impact of GLP-1 drugs on American eating habits, the play centers on Selma's birthday celebration, where an uneaten cake leads her mother and boyfriend to question what has changed.

Aurora Real de Asua's Fellow Mortals, directed by Janyce Caraballo, features Sierra Phan, Katie Bevil and Z Mowry. Inspired by a study examining genetic mutations resulting from repeated cloning in mice, the play follows three individuals trapped in a cage as they attempt to understand who put them there and how they can escape.

The Turning by Netta Walker is directed by Sydney Charles and features Jalbelly Guzman and Morgan Lavenstein. Set in 2048 following a civil war, the play follows a young woman fleeing a colony who is confronted by a relic of the past. The work was inspired by newly declassified FBI documents detailing a UFO sighting reported by police officers in Anoka, Minnesota.

Ike Holter's The Day The Night Came Down, directed by Stephanie Diaz, features Laura Lodewyck and Pedro Jimenez. Also inspired by the newly declassified documents, the play follows a rookie police officer who weighs the consequences of speaking out following a life-changing encounter with an unexplained aerial phenomenon.

About the Living Newspaper Festival

The Living Newspaper form has roots in the USSR and Germany and was introduced in the United States in 1935 as part of the Federal Theatre Project. Its creators viewed drama as an instrument for social change, developing works that addressed current events, social injustices and national issues.

Created as part of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, the Federal Theatre Project employed approximately 8,000 theatre professionals annually during its four-year existence. Its Living Newspaper productions also provided opportunities for emerging writers and helped establish a theatrical form centered on engaging audiences in conversations about contemporary issues.

About Jackalope Theatre Company

Jackalope Theatre Company works to expand the definition of American identity by engaging with communities and producing works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods, the company produces full-length plays and new-play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District. Tickets are $20–$35.

Photo Credit: Joel Maisonet/Maisonet Photography