THE SÉANCE: LIVE (AND DEAD) to Return to Chicago This Fall

Following a critically acclaimed, completely sold-out run in 2025, producer and creator Thom Britton announces the return of THE SÉANCE: LIVE (AND DEAD) IN CHICAGO for an extended fall 2026 engagement. Staged at Stars & Garters (3914 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613), the production runs for seven exclusive Saturday evening performances, opening Saturday, September 19, 2026, and running through Halloween night, October 31, 2026.

Described as "a spook-house show for the smart set," THE SÉANCE is a 90-minute immersive theatrical demonstration that recreates an authentic 1890s spirit circle. Rejecting contemporary haunted house tropes and novelty magic tricks, the production transports audiences directly into the heyday of 19th-century American spiritualism (1840-1912). Combining historical narrative with psychological stagecraft and hands-on spirit parlor techniques, Britton explores the social grief, scientific curiosities, and theatrical craft that defined Victorian séances.

"This is genuine time travel," says creator Thom Britton. "I'm taking you back to exactly how you would have felt sitting in a Chicago parlor in 1859 or 1890. What audiences experience in the room is completely real. Whether the spirits themselves choose to show up is strictly between you and them."

THE SÉANCE has performed periodically in Chicago since 2013, developing a dedicated following for its intimate atmosphere and cerebral approach to supernatural theater. The 2026 engagement is strictly 21+ and hosted in the intimate 80-seat showroom of Stars & Garters in the heart of Wrigleyville. The final Halloween night performance on October 31 has already sold out in advance.

THE SÉANCE: Live (and dead) in Chicago