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Welcome

Welcome to the start of the 2025/26 Season and thank you for joining us at this world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s brilliant play Billie Jean. Producing new work alongside Shakespeare is a central part of our mission and it’s always an exciting moment to launch a new play with Billie Jean being no exception. Investing in the repertoire of the future is as rewarding and vital as bringing new perspectives to the Bard, offering us insights into the relationship between the past and present.

Billie Jean King created her public platform by becoming a world champion in her tireless fight for equality and fairness for women on the playing field, in the workplace, and in life. Equality, respect, community, and tolerance are all things we need to civilize the world we live in, and Billie Jean King has had a tremendous impact on changing the way we think, act, and relate. When she swept winning three titles at Wimbledon in 1967, she was rewarded with only a £45 gift card—how far we have come thanks to her advocacy, determination, and perseverance. This play reminds us of the many positive changes she has made and continues to make in so many parts of our life.

We are thrilled to bring you this story which inspires us all to be a positive force in everything we do. We are just getting started this season so we hope you will join us again soon and make CST your theater home. Thank you for experiencing the joy of live theater.

EDWARD HALL
Artistic Director

Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair

KIMBERLY MOTES
Executive Director

by special arrangement with HARRIET NEWMAN LEVE and STEPHANIE SANDBERG
with LILY TOMLIN and JANE WAGNER

presents

The performance runs 2 hours and 10 minutes, including an intermission.

If we can help accommodate you during your visit, please speak with our House Manager.
For your safety, we ask that you keep aisles and doorways clear.
Please refrain from taking photos and videos during the performance.

Cast

Creative Team


Lily Tomasic

Assistant Scenic Designer

Herin Kaputkin

Associate Costume Designer

Ethan Coon

Production Assistant

Meike Schmidt

Lighting Programmer

Erin Pleake

Video Programmer

Nic Sommerfeld

Writer’s Assistant

Lily Tomasic

Assistant Scenic Designer

Herin Kaputkin

Associate Costume Designer

Ethan Coon

Production Assistant

Meike Schmidt

Lighting Programmer

Erin Pleake

Video Programmer

Nic Sommerfeld

Writer’s Assistant

Principal Production Sponsor

Neal and Jennifer Reenan

Associate Production Sponsor

Ruth D. and Ken M. Davee New Work and Education Outreach Fund

SPECIAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT PROVIDED BY 

Marcy Adelman, Bob Boyett, Lynda Brothers, Edie Cofrin, Pamela David, Paula Davis, Vibecke Dellapolla, Jay Paul Deratany, Laura Desmond, Elizabeth Dooley, Abby Fiorella and Julie Griffin, Gayle Gibson and Denise Beck, Ira Gilbert, Mark Grace, Houston Racquet Club, Virginia Moraweck, Kate O’Hanlan and Leonie Walker, Carol and David Pensky, Sue Reamer, Christine Rendel, Laura Ricketts and Brooke Skinner Ricketts, Alix Ritchie, Jenna Segal, Shariq Yosufzai and Brian James 

Holding Court With Playwright Lauren Gunderson

“Billie Jean wants to be—physically and metaphysically—a play about women in motion. The choreographic movement and accelerated agility of the play on the whole is matched by the fleet-footed characters on multiple journeys towards a resilient truth. The DNA of this piece is that when we fight for our communities we are also fighting for ourselves and vice versa. The self and the collective are the same fight when it comes to justice, equality, and supporting a beloved community of changemakers, which Billie Jean King always has done and continues to do. I want the play to feel human but also theatrical, heroic but also humble, athletic and emotional. It’s a study in contrast that allows for an epic American story to exist intimately and broadly. Billie Jean is such a truly strong-hearted person —it just electrifies me to think about all that she has made possible and all that she continues to do every day.” 

 

Setting

1955 to present day. On courts and off.

Music

“You Gotta Be Dreamin” | Music and lyrics by Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile. Performed by Brandi Carlile.

“Tomorrow the World” | Music and lyrics by Joriah Kwamé and Lauren Gunderson. Performed by Taylor Iman Jones.

 

Explore Billie Jean King’s Impact

Her Legacy: By the Numbers

Visionary. Pioneer. Legend. As a sports icon and social activist, Billie Jean King lives her life according to the principles of equality, empowerment, and access. Learn more about her impact.

Serving Up Good for Our Community

We’re proud to uplift these Chicago organizations that embody the spirit of Billie Jean King’s activism—shattering glass ceilings and leveling the playing field for athletes and individuals of all identities.

By Special Arrangement


Commercial General Manager ROY GABAY

Office Associates for Harriet Newman Leve TREY TETREAULT, ARANSAS HALEY

 

Billie Jean was developed by New York Stage and Film in Winter 2024.

SPECIAL THANKS TO 

Reggie D. White; Midtown Athletic Club—especially Michael Mahoney and Michael Insko; USTA Midwest and Jill Siegel (Chicago District Tennis Association); Tip Nunn; and, of course, our deep appreciation to Billie Jean King, Ilana Kloss, and all of the people past and present depicted in the play. 

SEASON SPONSORS

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is proud to recognize the sustaining partnership of our Season Sponsors,
whose visionary support ensures that we live out our artistic mission for audiences today and for generations to come.

SEASON SPONSORS

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is proud to recognize the sustaining partnership of our Season Sponsors, whose visionary support ensures that we live out our artistic mission for audiences today and for generations to come.

The Grainger Foundation

The Jentes Family

Ray and Judy McCaskey

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

Burton X. and Sheli Z. Rosenberg

The Segal Family

Carl and Marilynn Thoma

Chicago Shakespeare productions are made possible in part by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.    

Chicago Shakespeare is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization of non-profit theaters; Shakespeare Theatre Association; Arts Alliance Illinois; the League of Chicago Theatres; and Ingenuity, Inc.   

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org   

The Director and Movement Director of this production are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.    

The set, costume, lighting, sound, and projections designers of this production are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of IATSE. 

About Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST)

Our Mission

To create vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of our world.

Shared humanity and unforgettable stories—now THIS is Chicago Shakespeare.

Our Vision

We deliver excellent, powerful, life-changing theater that challenges our preconceptions of everything. We are an open and inspiring destination to meet, talk, and share experience through community and live performance that is available to everyone. We build a better future with those who watch, work, create, and participate.

Our Story

CST is a leading international theater company and the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare. Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes, the Regional Tony Award recipient engages nearly a quarter of a million people through more than 12 productions each year. Shakespeare is at the heart of the artistic work, illuminating the playwright as a modern writer for our modern world. CST also produces compelling, contemporary stories from fresh artistic voices of today. CST brings the world to Chicago and sends Chicago out into the world as a presenter of international theater and producer of North American and world premieres. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, CST annually welcomes more than 20,000 students to performances and programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, alongside professional development opportunities for teachers. CST activates its campus with three venues: 700-seat The Yard; the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater; and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. Free programs like Shakes in the City bring performances to parks and community spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. For nearly four decades, CST has distinguished itself with a spirit of innovation, dynamism, and ambitious vision.

More About Us

Our Team

The thrilling work on our stages would not be possible without our visionary leadership, talented team of theater professionals, and dedicated Board of Directors.

Our Supporters

Chicago Shakespeare gratefully recognizes the gifts and partnerships provided by our hundreds of individual donors and institutions in our digital donor listing.

Our Education Programs

We are committed to providing access to high quality, culturally responsive arts education, and fostering a love for lifelong learning through innovative programming.