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

OPEN SPACE ARTS

1411 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago 60640

Upcoming Shows

Smiley
Jun 5 – Jun 21, 2026

North American English-language premiere of the international hit by Spain’s Guillem Clua. When Alex leaves a voicemail for his ex, it lands in the inbox...

BALLATA FEMMENELLA
Jun 1 – Jun 30, 2026

BALLATA FEMMENELLA at Open Space Arts is featured as part of the League of Chicago Theatres' Pride Month LGBTQIA+ programming and events across the city...



Review: ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY at Jackalope Theatre


by Emily Werner - June 05, 2026

What did our critic think of ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY at Jackalope Theatre?...

Review: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN at Chicago Shakespeare Theater


by Rachel Weinberg - June 05, 2026

Rugged masculinity meets forbidden queer romance in Brokeback Mountain. Based on Annie Proulx’s short story (which was adapted into a buzzy 2005 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger), Ashley Robinson’s play follows the clandestine romance between ranchers Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar o...

Review: DAMN YANKEES at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre


by Angela Lin - June 01, 2026

If you’ve ever been so invested in something — particularly sports — that it starts to dictate your mood, consume your everyday life, and affect your relationship, then you might be able to relate to Damn Yankees, now playing at the Theo’s Fred Anzevino Theatre. ...

Review: MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Presented by Broadway In Chicago


by Rachel Weinberg - May 21, 2026

Monty Python’s Spamalot is a jubilant and genuinely hilarious touring rendition of the 2023 Broadway revival. If you’re looking for hearty laughs and a winning combo of slapstick humor,witty pop culture, and musical theater references, Spamalot’s got it in spades....

Review: A Red Orchid Theatre's THE TARGETED at The Chopin Theatre


by Emily Werner - May 20, 2026

A Red Orchid Theatre concludes their 33rd Season with the world premiere of THE TARGETED at the Chopin Theatre. Playwright Hanna Kime first started writing the play in 2019, at a moment when political tension and distrust started to escalate....

Review: LE BAL at Trap Door Theatre


by Emily Werner - May 17, 2026

What did our critic think of LE BAL at Trap Door Theatre?...

Review: AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE at TimeLine Theatre


by Angela Lin - May 18, 2026

TimeLine Theatre Company is inaugurating its new theater in Uptown in an impressively dynamic production of when truth and power collide and personal convictions are put to the test....

Review: WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY at Raven Theatre


by Angela Lin - May 15, 2026

When you really stop to think about it, the late stage capitalist grind we find ourselves in (or rather, that billionaires and certain politicians have forced upon us) has created a disembodied culture marked by rampant labor, optimized efficiency, and fractured connections — and that’s a pretty...

Review: OCTET at Raven Theatre


by Zac Thriffiley - May 14, 2026

Not only does OCTET work on every level musically and creatively, but it also already stands as a strong contender for best musical of the summer. The production runs through June 7....

Review: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT at TUTA Theatre


by Emily Werner - May 12, 2026

What did our critic think of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT at TUTA Theatre?...

Past Shows

My Life as a Cowboy
My Life as a Cowboy
Jan 23 – Mar 1, 2026

Seventeen-year-old Conor feels stuck in the London suburb of Croydon and dreams of doing something unexpected—entering a country-and-western dance competition. He’s joined by Michael, a fellow lifeguard at the...

DORIAN
Nov 28 – Dec 21, 2025

Modern remix of Dorian Gray and the life of Oscar Wilde.

Gangsta Baby
Gangsta Baby
Sep 19 – Oct 19, 2025

Junior is a queer sex worker in Hastings suffering from PTSD. His life is plunged into further turmoil during a booking with a new client...

THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN
THE REAL BLACK SWANN: CONFESSIONS OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK DRAG QUEEN
Jul 18 – Jul 27, 2025

The story of William Dorsey Swann, the first known drag performer and queer activist in U.S. history.

Scandalous Boy
Scandalous Boy
May 23 – Jun 28, 2025

The story of the love between the emperor Hadrian and Antinous in pre-Christian Rome but framed in a twenty-first century setting with the statue of...

Nocturnal Admissions
Nocturnal Admissions
May 10

A thrilling and provocative screenplay by Christian Reda, winner of the 2025 Queer Expression Writing Contest for Stage and Screen. This gripping romantic melodrama blends...

100 Days
100 Days
Apr 30 – May 4, 2025

a riveting 90-minute program of new short plays called 100 DAYS responding to the current political climate. Curated by PlaywrightPower.com and directed by its co-founder...

Breaking the Code
Breaking the Code
Apr 25

Staged reading of Hugh Whitemore’s powerful 1986 drama about Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician who pioneered modern computing and played a pivotal role in World...

it's been ten years since everyone died. a play about final girls
it's been ten years since everyone died. a play about final girls
Mar 21 – Apr 19, 2025

Ten years ago, four young people were hunted by ruthless killers—and against all odds, three of them survived. Now, they are brought together once more, this...

AS IS
Mar 28 – Apr 13, 2025

AS IS is a poignant drama by William Hoffman that explores the emotional landscape of a group of friends in New York City during the...

MR. PARKER
MR. PARKER
Jan 31 – Mar 2, 2025

Open Space Arts presents the Chicago premiere of Michael McKeever's heartfelt drama, MR. PARKER, running from January 31 to February 16, 2025. The play follows...

The Berlin Diaries
The Berlin Diaries
Dec 20 – Jan 5, 2025

The great-grandfather of Oregon Book Award-winning playwright Andrea Stolowitz kept a journal for his descendants after escaping to New York City in 1939 as a...

MERCY KILLING
Nov 1 – Dec 1, 2024

MERCY KILLING is a dark comedy by Alandra Heilman that explores the twisted life of Mercy, a barista in San Francisco who also happens to...

PLOT POINTS IN OUR SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT
Nov 1 – Nov 17, 2024

PLOT POINTS IN OUR SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT is a two-character play by Miranda Rose Hall that explores the complexities of a love affair between a cisgender...

Light Switch
Light Switch
Sep 13 – Oct 13, 2024

Henry Sullivan, 27, single, gay, and autistic, lives his life vicariously through the heroes and heroines of the 19th-century British novels he devours. But no...

C*CK
C*CK
Apr 4 – May 11, 2024

A comic discussion of identity and sexuality.

Sunsets: Two Acts on a Beach
Sunsets: Two Acts on a Beach
Feb 2 – Mar 3, 2024

An evening of two plays set next to a men’s room on a Florida gulf coast beach – the sort of place where seaside frolics...

Rosenberg
Rosenberg
Oct 21 – Nov 5, 2023

Sam Goodstein prosecuted Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for treason in the trial of the century. Their conviction led Sam and his wife Judith to success,...

Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy
Sep 16 – Oct 1, 2023

Over the course of one year, a gay massage therapist and his female client grow to form an unusually strong bond. At first skeptical of...

Videos


South Pacific in Chicago South Pacific
Paramount Arts Centre (4/29-6/14)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch in Chicago Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Catalyst Ranch (7/09-7/26)
The Book of Mormon in Chicago The Book of Mormon
Cadillac Palace Theatre (10/23-11/01)
Raks Geek in Chicago Raks Geek
The Newport Theater (11/13-11/13)
The Elephant Man in Chicago The Elephant Man
Theater Wit (6/12-6/28)
Paula Poundstone in Chicago Paula Poundstone
Raue Center For The Arts (9/12-9/12) VIDEOS
Readings on Ravenswood in Chicago Readings on Ravenswood
Remy Bumppo Theatre Company (5/04-6/15)
Rock Of Ages in Chicago Rock Of Ages
CIRCA 21 Dinner Playhouse (9/16-11/07)
Rotary Rocks The Raue: James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash in Chicago Rotary Rocks The Raue: James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash
Raue Center For The Arts (10/24-10/24)
Godzilla Comedy Show in Chicago Godzilla Comedy Show
The Den Theatre (6/21-6/21)