My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

TRUNK Comes to The Newport Theatre

The performance is June 8th at 3:00 at The Newport Theatre.

By:
TRUNK Comes to The Newport Theatre

TRUNK by Riley Samuel Merritt is coming to Chicago  TRUNK is a one-man, interactive production that delves into the mind of a young artist reckoning with his approaching death. Written and performed by Riley Samuel Merritt, the play draws from over a decade of his personal writings-poetry, prose, and eight original songs-to examine the fragile intersections of identity, ambition, and connection. The performance is June 8th at 3:00 at The Newport Theatre.

Inspired by the 15th-century morality play Everyman, TRUNK reimagines the age-old confrontation with mortality through the lens of a flawed, modern creative. While the narrative is not autobiographical, Merritt uses his own life as a vessel to explore the universal story of what it means to live truthfully-and die honestly-as an artist.

Audience participation is central to the show, making each performance a shared act of reflection and storytelling. Viewers are invited to contribute their voices, reinforcing TRUNK's core themes of community and collective memory.

Ultimately, TRUNK is both a personal unpacking and a public offering-a meditation on legacy, vulnerability, and the moral responsibility of the modern artist in a world that often forgets to listen.

Riley Samuel Merritt is an actor, writer, and musician raised in the rugged four corners region. Riley graduated from New Mexico State University with a degree in musical theatre, and has spent his years since training and creating in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico, having acted in such shows as Little Night Music (Henrik), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown), Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Kevin), Taming of the Shrew (Bianco), and many more. Now ready to move to metropolitan Chicago, Riley is touring "TRUNK": an original one-man show which celebrates art and humanity through the use of poetry, song, and years of cumulative writing.



Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Scenic Design - Top 3
1. Dane Laffrey - The Lost Boys
35.9% of votes
2. Soutra Gilmour - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
12.2% of votes
3. Scott Pask - Schmigadoon!
10.6% of votes

Don't Miss a Chicago News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...


Videos


Windfall in Chicago Windfall
Steppenwolf Theatre Company (4/09-5/31)
South Pacific in Chicago South Pacific
Paramount Arts Centre (4/29-6/14)
The Hula-Hoopin' Queen in Chicago The Hula-Hoopin' Queen
Young People's Theatre of Chicago (5/09-5/31)
Dinner and Dance Under the Stars in Chicago Dinner and Dance Under the Stars
American Hungarian Club (5/30-5/30)
Saturn Returns in Chicago Saturn Returns
Chicago Tap Theatre (6/11-6/14)
Southern Rapture in Chicago Southern Rapture
Tin Drum Theatre Company (6/11-6/28)
Route 66 in Chicago Route 66
The Little Theatre On The Square (8/13-8/23)
Third Coast Symphony: Appalachian Spring and Carnival of the Animals in Chicago Third Coast Symphony: Appalachian Spring and Carnival of the Animals
First Baptist Congregational (6/14-6/14)
Father of the Bride in Chicago Father of the Bride
Drury Lane Theatre (4/08-5/31)
La Bohème in Chicago La Bohème
Opera Festival of Chicago (6/26-7/05)