YO HO. World Premiere and KING LEAR Set for Babes With Blades Theatre Company 2026 Season
The season will open with the world premiere of yo ho., written by SMJ and directed by JD Caudill, followed by KING LEAR, directed by member Alison Dornheggen.
Babes With Blades Theatre Company will present its 2026 season with two productions, including a world premiere and the company’s ninth Shakespeare staging. Performances will take place at The Edge Theater Off Broadway and Theater Wit.
The season will open with the world premiere of yo ho., written by SMJ and directed by JD Caudill, followed by KING LEAR, directed by Babes With Blades ensemble member Alison Dornheggen.
Artistic Director Hayley Rice said, “We are thrilled to be the home for the world premiere of yo ho. In some ways, it is exactly the kind of show you would expect from BWBTC: swashbuckling swordfights between moments of illuminating the lost stories of marginalized identities. This script is also fresh, funny, exciting and perhaps a little steamier than Babes offerings of the past.”
Rice added, “I am also happy to announce that this season contains the next entry of our always popular BWBTC Shakespeare series with King Lear. With long-time ensemble member Alison Dornheggen at the helm of this production, audiences know they are going to see one of the most dynamic, insightful and heartbreaking Lears of recent memory.”
YO HO.
yo ho. will run from July 25 through August 22, 2026, at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, located at 1133 W. Catalpa Avenue. The production will begin with previews on July 19, July 23, and July 24, with a press opening scheduled for July 25. Performances will be held Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Select performances will be available for streaming.
The play follows pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read aboard a ship facing imminent threat from the crown. The work blends historical fantasy with explorations of sexuality and gender, drawing on queer history through a contemporary lens.
Tickets for yo ho. will go on sale March 3 at 12:00 p.m., with prices ranging from $20 to $35.
KING LEAR
KING LEAR, written by William Shakespeare, will run from October 15 through November 21, 2026, at Theater Wit, located at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue. The production will begin with previews on October 15 and October 16, followed by a press opening on October 17. Performances will be held Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m., with no performance scheduled on October 31. Select performances will be available for streaming.
In the play, Lear divides his kingdom among his daughters based on declarations of love, setting off a chain of betrayal and political collapse. The narrative parallels Lear’s downfall with the suffering of the Earl of Gloucester, who is manipulated into turning against his own son.
Tickets for King Lear will range from $25 to $38 and will go on sale later in 2026 through the Theater Wit box office.
Babes With Blades Theatre Company, founded in Chicago, is known for productions that foreground women and nonbinary artists in roles that emphasize physical storytelling and stage combat.
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