Criss Henderson News

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) opens its new, innovative third theater on Navy Pier, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, with the inaugural performance James Thierr e's The Toad Knew on September 19.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) opens its new, innovative third theater on Navy Pier, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on September12 and the inaugural performance -- James Thierr e's The Toad Knew -- on September 19. Introducing a new trend in theatrical architecture, The Yard combines adaptive reuse with innovation in flexible design.

Back by popular demand, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the highly anticipated return of the cheeky holiday classic Q Brothers Christmas Carol, from hip-hop sensations the Q Brothers Collective and developed with CST Creative Producer Rick Boynton. After three wildly successful runs in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to sold-out houses, the raucous and irreverent musical event now takes the stage of the Theater's innovative third venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare, November 21-December 31, 2017.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) Artistic Director Barbara Gaines stages Shakespeare's raucous comedy The Taming of the Shrew with a powerhouse, all-woman cast-setting up a witty and thought-provoking debate on politics, power, and love. Framed as a performance by a band of Suffragettes with additional dialogue by Second City's Ron West, The Taming of the Shrew launches Chicago Shakespeare's 2017/18 Season in the Courtyard Theater, September 16-November 12, 2017.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces a World's Stage production in its soon-to-be-completed new venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare: Teatro Linea de Sombra's evocative Amarillo, October 17-29, 2017. Devised by one of Mexico's most celebrated and forward-thinking ensembles and directed by Jorge A. Vargas, Amarillo will be the largest international theatrical event of the inaugural Chicago International Latino Theater Festival - Destinos (d?-stee-noce).

Major Latino theater companies from Latin America, the Caribbean and around the city will be showcased at DESTINOS (d?-stee-noce), the first Chicago International Latino Theater Festival, an ambitious month-long festival of 'First voice' plays and panels presented by Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA), September 29 - October 29, 2017. 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) celebrated the culmination of the 30th Anniversary Season with GALA 2017 on Friday, June 9, 2017 at the Theater's home on Navy Pier-raising a record-breaking $1.74 million for Chicago Shakespeare in Classrooms and Communities initiatives.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for the summer family musical production Madagascar - A Musical Adventure, at the Theater's home on Navy Pier, July 13-August 27, 2017. Newly announced, Rachel Rockwell will take the helm as the production's director and choreographer. Based on the DreamWorks Animation motion picture, this wild and wacky musical is written by Kevin Del Aguila-the Emmy Award-winning writer of the animated PBS hit Peg Cat-with original music and lyrics by creative duo George Noriega and Joel Someillan, who have developed music for popular children's series, including Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and Boeing partner to present the annual citywide summer tradition, Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. Made possible by production sponsor BMO Harris, 25 performances of Shakespeare's timeless classic Romeo and Juliet, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons, will tour to 18 neighborhood parks across the City, July 26-August 27, 2017.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District and Boeing partner to present the annual citywide summer tradition, Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks. Made possible by production sponsor BMO Harris, 25 performances of Shakespeare's timeless classic Romeo and Juliet, adapted and directed by Marti Lyons, will tour to 18 neighborhood parks across the City, July 26-August 27, 2017.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces nine productions of the 2017/18 Season-which will engage audiences with timeless stories in transformational settings. The season also marks the introduction of the Theater's new and innovative third performance venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Additional productions are to be announced this summer.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater  (CST) continues its summer tradition of vibrant family programming with Madagascar - A Musical Adventure, directed and choreographed by Matt Raftery at the Theater's home on Navy Pier, July 13-August 27, 2017. Based on the DreamWorks Animation motion picture, this wild and wacky new musical is written by Emmy Award-winner Kevin Del Aguila with original music and lyrics by George Noriega and Joel Someillan.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) brings to the stage one of the most popular romantic films of all time, Shakespeare in Love-in an enchanting, music-filled theatrical event staged by acclaimed director Rachel Rockwell. Based on the Academy Award-winner for Best Picture with screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, Shakespeare in Love is adapted for the stage by Tony and Olivier Award-winner Lee Hall. Culminating the Theater's 30th Anniversary Season, this high-spirited romantic comedy is magnificently rendered onstage in the magical intimacy of Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater, April 15-June 11, 2017.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet, a 75-minute abridgment of William Shakespeare's classic tale of true love found-and tragically lost. Adapted and directed by Marti Lyons and featuring a dynamic ensemble cast, the production speaks to today's young people about their own lives. In addition to public performances on Saturdays, this production welcomes 1,000 students each day during its five-week run in the Courtyard Theater, followed by an extensive tour to schools across the region through April 28, 2017. Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet will be performed for the public Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., February 25-March 25, 2017.

The Global Theater Initiative (GTI), a partnership between Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (The Lab), is organizing its third delegation to the Santiago a Mil Festival from January 17-22, 2017.

The Q Brothers' Othello: The Remix, presented by John Leguizamo, written, composed and directed by GQ and JQ and developed with Rick Boynton, will play its final performance on Sunday, January 15th, 2017.

Shakespeare 400 Chicago, the yearlong festival marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, will wrap up a dynamic year of programming with a full calendar of events in December, having inspired an estimated 1.1 million people to take part in 863 events at 231 locations across the city of Chicago.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the cast and creative team for the Chicago premiere of Mike Bartlett's new West End and Broadway sensation King Charles III, directed by Gary Griffin as part of the Theater's 30th Anniversary Season.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) joins forces with Chicago Youth Shakespeare (CYS) to engage 350 high school students from 40 public, private and parochial schools across the region in the first annual Battle of the Bard (BOTB)-inaugurated as part of the yearlong Shakespeare 400 Chicago.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces the debut of a new collaboration with acclaimed artistic collective one step at a time like this entitled undreamed shores, a solo pedestrian micro-journey along Navy Pier. The coincidence of Shakespeare's legacy celebration, Shakespeare 400 Chicago, and Navy Pier's Centennial Anniversary in 2016 has inspired CST's third partnership with the Melbourne-based artists, who astonished audiences and critics alike with the large-scale urban journeys Since I Suppose (2014) and en route (2011). Now shifting their focus to a walk along the Theater's home on the shores of Lake Michigan, the new commission takes the shape of a contemplative voyage led by a voice-guided soundscape, which explores the possibility of discovering new perspectives in our everyday world. Specially crafted to be enjoyed by one person at a time, undreamed shores premieres in a limited engagement, October 7-23, 2016-with availability for only 200 travelers.