Chicago Shakespeare Theater is the cultural anchor of Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier with three dynamic performance venues across our campus. We invite you to engage with our work—on our stages, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in theaters around the world.
Jentes Family Courtyard Theater
Courtyard Theater
This signature 500-seat venue was inspired by the theaters of Shakespeare’s day, evoking the design of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. The three seating levels—Main Floor, Dress Circle, and Gallery—wrap around the thrust stage, fostering an intimate relationship between actors and audience. Enjoy the dramatic skyline views from the Gerst Family Lobby and Pritzker Foundation Dress Circle.
The Yard
One of the most dynamic and flexible theater venues in the world, The Yard’s design features nine seating “towers” that can be arranged in a variety of ways with audience capacities ranging from 150 to 850. Experience today’s most exciting theatrical events and large-scale spectacles from the Main Floor and Gallery seating levels—and take in the sweeping lakefront views from the curved glass lobby.
Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio
Upstairs Studio
This 200-seat black-box venue is on the 6th floor of Chicago Shakespeare, overlooking a spectacular city vantage. Both the stage and seating can be arranged to best suit the creative choices of our artistic team with practically limitless versatility. As an incubator for new work and destination for touring productions, the space invites audiences to get up-close and personal with the compelling artistry onstage.