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Subscribe to the 2026/2027 Season

 

We are thrilled to share with you Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s milestone 40th Anniversary Season, celebrating four decades of vivid and entertaining performances that captivate minds, spark conversation, and invite new perspectives—again and again. The 40th Anniversary Season reflects the deep roots we hold with Shakespeare, with contemporary work, and our hometown. As we step into this new season and remarkable moment, we’re excited to celebrate with you by putting Shakespeare and Chicago center stage. We cannot wait to see you at the theater.

 

We are thrilled to share with you Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s milestone 40th Anniversary Season, celebrating four decades of vivid and entertaining performances that captivate minds, spark conversation, and invite new perspectives—again and again. The 40th Anniversary Season reflects the deep roots we hold with Shakespeare, with contemporary work, and our hometown. As we step into this new season and remarkable moment, we’re excited to celebrate with you by putting Shakespeare and Chicago center stage. We cannot wait to see you at the theater.

 
Cursive signature of Artistic Director, Edward Hall.
EDWARD HALL
Artistic Director
Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair		 cursive signature of executive director, Kimberly Motes
KIMBERLY MOTES
Executive Director

Save up to 25% and guarantee the best seats to this entertaining and unforgettable landmark season. You’ll also enjoy a whole season of outstanding Subscriber Benefits!

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7 PLAY PACKAGE

$337-$688

Play On • The Winter’s Tale • A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Romeo y Julieta • Illinoise• Reunion in Bartersville • Heartbreakers
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BARD CARD

$334-$550

6 flexible tickets to use on any play, at any time. Plan a special night out with friends by using them all at once—or pick & choose different shows.

Play On!

SEP 11 – OCT 18, 2026

MUSIC IS THE FOOD OF LOVE IN MAJOR MUSICAL REVIVAL
Songwriter Vy heads to swinging 1930s Harlem with dreams of showbiz success in this joyful retelling of Twelfth Night. Set to the timeless songbook of American icon Duke Ellington, this Tony-nominated musical combines an iconic jazz soundtrack with Shakespeare’s beloved comedy of mistaken identity and romance.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Conceived by Sheldon Epps
Book by Cheryl L. West
Music by Duke Ellington
Directed by Sheldon Epps

Presented in association with MMaxwellMedia, WMK Productions, Alyssa Melani, and The Classical Theatre of Harlem.

The Winter’s Tale

OCT 13 – DEC 12, 2026

14 ACTORS. 2 PLAYS. 1 UNFORGETTABLE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE.
One masterfully talented company led by Artistic Director Edward Hall perform two Shakespeare plays in repertory in honor of our 40th Anniversary, a first in CST’s history.

EPIC FAIRY TALE ADVENTURE WITH A MESSAGE OF HOPE
Once upon a time, King Leontes is infected by an uncontrollable jealousy over his pregnant wife Hermione. Shakespeare’s timeless romance takes us on a fairy tale adventure from the drama of Sicilia to the color and music of Bohemia. Shipwrecks, bears, and magic oracles dance across the stage in this story of betrayal, forgiveness, reunion, and reconciliation.

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Edward Hall

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

NOV 11, 2026 – JAN 3, 2027

14 ACTORS. 2 PLAYS. 1 UNFORGETTABLE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE.
One masterfully talented company led by Artistic Director Edward Hall perform two Shakespeare plays in repertory in honor of our 40th Anniversary, a first in CST’s history.

SPARKLING WITH THE FESTIVE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
Shakespeare’s magical romantic comedy is a delectable treat for the entire family. A snowy Athens gives way to the warm and colorful dream of a midsummer forest as young love collides with a fairy feud and an enthusiastic group of amateur theatricals in the most warmhearted play in the English language.

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Edward Hall

Romeo y Julieta

JAN 29 – MAR 14, 2027

SHAKESPEARE’S PASSIONATE ROMANCE TRANSPORTED TO 1960S MIAMI
Romeo meets Julieta and their love shakes the very soul of the worlds they thought they knew. As conflict escalates between the Montescos and the Capuletas, this young star-crossed couple defies the enmity between their feuding families and the prejudices of their community—only to discover that love is the true universal language in a new bilingual adaptation in English and Spanish.

By William Shakespeare
Adapted by Karen Zacarías and Henry Godinez
Directed by Henry Godinez

Performed in English and Spanish with projected translation

Illinoise

FEB 9 – MAR 14, 2027

TONY WINNING PHENOMENON RETURNS TO SPIRITUAL HOME AT CST
After 2024’s sold-out world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this Tony Award-winning phenomenon returns to where it all began. Based on Sufjan Stevens’ landmark album, this “mysterious, deeply moving and unforgettable dance-musical” (The New York Times) tells a hauntingly beautiful original story through live music, dance, and theater.

Music and Lyrics by Sufjan Stevens (based on the album Illinois)
Story by Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury
Directed and Choreographed by Justin Peck

Reunion in Bartersville

APR 11 – MAY 9, 2027

A HILARIOUS WHODUNNIT MAKES CHICAGO PREMIERE
When the surviving members of Bartersville High’s class of 1933 gather to celebrate their 50th reunion, they are confronted by a ghost from their past and their own scandalous secrets. Over punch bowls and sandwich platters, a decades-old murder case is thrown wide open in this irreverent comedy, which will have audiences dying of laughter.

By Celeste Bedford Walker
Directed by Jerry Dixon

Presented in association with LaChanze Productions

Heartbreakers

MAY 4 – JUNE 6, 2027

ELECTRIFYING NEW ROCK MUSICAL
A new musical powered by Grammy Award winners and rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo drops Romeo and Juliet into a sweaty, neon-lit underground—reimagining the iconic love story as a high-voltage collision of passion, rivalry, and identity that feels dangerous, immediate, and alive.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Reimagined through the Music of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
Book by Bradley Bredeweg
Directed by Bradley Bredeweg

Presented in association with Madison Wells Live