David Dillon News

The cast and crew have been announced for the World Premiere adaptation of THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, opening on October 29. Brian Pastor will direct Shawna Tucker's original adaptation of the Davis Grubb novel. Get event and ticket information here!

Discover the power of literature as City Lit Theater showcases excerpts from the top challenged books of the year. Join us for a thought-provoking event in observance of Banned Books Week.

City Lit Producer and Artistic Director Terry McCabe announced that the theatre’s 2023-2024 season—its forty-third—will be his last on its staff. 

City Lit Theater announced its lineup for the 2022-23 season. The season will begin in October with the world premiere of THE MARK OF KANE, by Mark Pracht, and conclude in late spring with the world premiere of Kingsley Day and Philip LaZebnik’s musical AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE.

Kristine Thatcher's VOICE OF GOOD HOPE is a bio-drama of Barbara Jordan, the first African American congresswoman from the Deep South. Jordan earned national stature in the 1970's as a member of the House Judiciary Committee that considered articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon and as the keynote speaker of the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Kristine Thatcher, who is City Lit's playwright-in-residence, was nominated for Best New Work in the 2019 Jeff Awards for her play, THE SAFE HOUSE, which premiered at City Lit last fall. VOICE OF GOOD HOPE premiered at Victory Gardens Theater in 2000 and has been produced across the US since then.

Cast and design team have been announced for City Lit Theater's second production of the 2019-2020 season, Kristine Thatcher's VOICE OF GOOD HOPE, a bio-drama of Barbara Jordan, the first African American congresswoman from the Deep South. Jordan earned national stature in the 1970's as a member of the House Judiciary Committee that considered articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon and as the keynote speaker of the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Kristine Thatcher, who is City Lit's playwright-in-residence, was nominated for Best New Work in the 2019 Jeff Awards for her play, THE SAFE HOUSE, which premiered at City Lit last fall. VOICE OF GOOD HOPE premiered at Victory Gardens Theater in 2000 and has been produced across the US since then. Press opening is Sunday, January 19, 2020.  

City Lit's 40th Season to explore key moments in American history through fact, fiction and fantasy. Productions will include the Chicago premiere of Peter Parnell's ROMANCE LANGUAGE, a revival of Kristine Thatcher's VOICE OF GOOD HOPE, and world premiere adaptations of Robert F. Kennedy's THIRTEEN DAYS and Owen Lister's THE VIRGINIAN

The Ringwald Theatre dips into the musical well for their 11th season; presenting three (!) musical in one season, two from legendary composer Stephen Sondheim in what will become our "Sondheim Spring".

Following the announcement, theater fans took to social media to react to the news. Check out some of their responses below

Coachella Valley performing arts fans who stay in town this summer will not be bored; there are many cabarets, staged readings, and full-fledged theatrical productions to keep everyone occupied.

'What they did is nothing short of miraculous! I know because I was there as a friend, a colleague, an artist. I was there in that room as the magic was happening!' Award-winning actress E. Faye Butler is speaking of the Fulton Theatre and Maine State Music Theatre, of her old friends from their Rockford, Illinois days, Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark, and of the entire creative team and cast of the new chamber music version of the musical Ghost in which she now stars. The Bruce Joel Rubin-Glen Ballard-Dave Stewart show which opens at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick on Thursday, June 9, is a reprise (and New England premiere) of the newly minted chamber adaptation presented at Lancaster's Fulton Theatre on April 21, 2016, after a year-long development process. One can feel the excitement and electricity in Butler's presence and her comments about this play with music which, she believes has given new life to both the original 1990 Jerry Zucker movie starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, and Whoopi Goldberg and the 2011 stage version. 'E. Faye is a force of nature!' MSMT Managing Director Stephanie Dupal proclaimed when she saw her in the premiere.

Desert Rose Playhouse, the Coachella Valley's main LGBT-friendly theatre, is currently presenting the world premiere of JUNK, a sweet, funny musical, written and composed by Michael Penny. The talented actors perform their roles with panache, and the company's behind-the-scenes designers help give Mr. Penny's clever material a top-notch introduction to audiences.

Ben Rudnick & Friends will perform a Hanukkah concert for families at The Jewish Museum on Sunday, December 1 at 2:00pm, blending musical styles from country to bluegrass, to rock and second-line New Orleans jazz. Families can hear original songs from Rudnick's award-winning albums as well as twists on such Hanukkah classics as 'I Have a Little Dreidel' and 'Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah.' Ben Rudnick (guitar and vocals) will be joined by John Zevos (mandolin and vocals), Chris Zevos (bass guitar and vocals), David Dillon (drums), and special guest Kenny Kosek (fiddle).