Barry Irving News

PlayMakers Laboratory will present THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA's 25th Birthday at Chicago's Neo-Futurist Theater, featuring current company members alongside emeritus cast in the long-running sketch comedy show written by kids.

For its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare’s  AS YOU LIKE IT. True to the comedy’s famous line – “All the World’s a Stage” – Midsommer Flight will again be creating natural stages in six Chicago parks over six summer weekends.

PlayMakers Laboratory will return to the Neo-Futurist Theater this winter with its annual holiday edition of That’s Weird, Grandma: Holiday Party!, running December 5–14, 2025.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: Holiday Party!, playing five performances only in December. Learn more here!

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: Summer Vacation! This family-friendly comedy extravaganza returns for six performances only from July 26 – August 10, 2025 at the Neo-Futurist Theater. See photos from the production.

PlayMakers Laboratory’s has released photos of its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: Summer Vacation! This family-friendly comedy extravaganza returns for six performances only from July 26 – August 10, 2025 at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

Midsommer Flight will present a fully staged production of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST ­­­as its 2025 free Shakespeare production. Learn more and see how to attend performances.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: A Holiday Spectacular! This family-friendly comedy extravaganza returns for one weekend only.

Big Noise Theatre is opening their 2024 season with GREY GARDENS: THE MUSICAL (book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie) next week in Des Plaines, IL., right outside of Chicago. Get all the production information here!

Metropolis Performing Arts Center has announced the upcoming production of The Music Man in Concert in collaboration with the School of the Performing Arts. Presented as a concert with a 25-piece orchestra, Meredith Willson's six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957.

For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory’s original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays! See photos from the production. 

 For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory’s original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays! The family-friendly extravaganza returns December 8 – 17, 2023 at the Neo-Futurist Theater,.

For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory's original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays!

For its tenth annual summer production of free Shakespeare in Chicago’s parks (one each year since 2012, except for the pandemic years of 2020-2021), Midsommer Flight will perform the romantic and fantastical adventure CYMBELINE.

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate its 25th anniversary of arts education in Chicago schools with 25 Years of Students’ Stories, two public performances featuring stories written by Chicago youth on Monday, December 5 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

Full cast and crew have been announced for Midsommer Flight’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, to be performed free in five Chicago Parks District parks from July 15 – August 21. The company’s Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf (she/her/hers), will direct the magical play.

Promethean Theatre Ensemble will return from its pandemic hiatus with a modern dress storefront production of Shakespeare's epic RICHARD III. The play will be directed by Steve Scott, an Artistic Associate with the Goodman Theatre, where he most recently directed VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE.

Invictus Theatre Company today announced the full cast and production team for its production of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning RUINED. Ebby Offord will direct the play, which will preview from February 17 to 20, in advance of the press opening on Monday, February 21, 2022, at 7:00 pm.

The Factory Theater,1623 W. Howard St., is pleased to announce the return of their annual Holiday Show available for viewing exclusively online.  The Factory Holiday Special consists of 4 all new performance pieces: Hamilton Beach 4/20 Special, All is Calm, There's Always Time, and Elf Slang for Murder.

Invictus Theatre Company today announced casting for its production of Shakespeare's HAMLET, the opening production in its fifth season of plays. The popular tragedy will be performed October 21 through November 21, 2021 in the company's new venue at 1106 W. Thorndale Avenue in Edgewater (the space formerly known as The Frontier). Press opening is Monday, October 25 at 7:30 pm.