YO HO. to Make World Premiere at Babes With Blades Theatre Company in Chicago

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 2026 season opens with a world premiere, yo ho., by playwright SMJ, directed by JD Caudill and fight choreography by Carly “CB” Cason, July 19 - August 29 at The Edge Theater Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave.

yo ho. charts the journey of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two pirates aboard a campy, sexually charged ship facing immediate threat from the crown. Equal parts historical fantasy and introspective sexual and gender exploration, this play is a deeply emotional reimaging and reminder of queer history.

“This hilarious and saucy comedy is perfect for the summer," states Artistic Director Hayley Rice. “In many ways yo ho. 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, exciting and perhaps a little steamier than Babes' offerings of the past.”

The ensemble cast of ten, in alphabetical order, features Stef Brundage (Calico Jack); Sierra Buffum (Mary Read); William Delforge (Chad/James); Schnaude Dorizan (Vanessa U/S); Stephanie Fongheiser (Anne Bonny U/S); Cris King (Calico Jack U/S); Rachel Sleek Bañuelos (Anne Bonny); Makenna Van Raalte (Mary Read U/S); Jacob Watson (he/they, Chad/James U/S) and Brittani Yawn (Vanessa).

The production team includes BWBTC ensemble members Line Bower (technical director); Jennifer Mohr (Costume Designer); Payton Shearn (production assistant) and Laura J. Wiley (lighting designer) as well as Carly “CB” Cason (fight choreographer); JD Caudill (director); Kat Coyl (assistant director); Amy C. Gilman (scenic designer); Rose Hamill (production manager); Alex Kingsley (sound designer); Meme Matteson (assistant fight choreographer); Grace Elizabeth Mealey (stage manager); Alyssa Vera Ramos (intimacy designer) and SMJ (playwright).