Bringing the world’s great theaters to Chicago and Chicago Shakespeare to the world

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s World’s Stage Series affords local theatergoers prime opportunities to experience different cultural traditions and must-see touring shows without ever leaving Chicago city limits.

In curating the World’s Stage, CST takes its cue from Shakespeare’s high mark of quality and from Europe’s freewheeling touring circuit. We have had occasion to host many of our globe’s iconic troupes: The Abbey Theatre from Dublin, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre from London, the Chekhov International Theatre Festival from Moscow, La Comédie Française from Paris, The Farber Foundry from South Africa... the list grows more impressive with each passing year.

Local theater professionals, working on our city’s stages, benefit tremendously from personal interactions with their international counterparts, including rare chances to attend master classes and forums featuring our esteemed guest artists. We delight, too, in the honor of presenting our own CST touring productions before discerning audiences in the world’s great theater cities, earning praise for Chicago and our own wonderful artists.

Ours is a landmark commitment, cementing a new theater tradition in Chicago with a distinctly international focus.