Cultural Access Collab

Digging Deeper Into Movies: Unsung Movies of 2025 at Alliance Française de Chicago
2026-01-31 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Chicago) | Alliance Française de Chicago, 810 N. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL, 60610, United States
By now, we can guess which of last year’s films seem bound for posterity via Oscar ballots, festival prizes, box-office glory, or Top 10 lists. But, as always, some cinematic gems of 2025 missed out on such high-profile recognition—including some top-tier international films that were big deals at home, released belatedly and only briefly in the U.S. So, let’s take a moment to excavate and celebrate some multilingual treasures in multiple genres, now available on major streaming services.
Viewing Recommendations: Take your pick: the tender, tricksy love story Dreams (Sex Love) from Norway; the resplendent, melancholy period fantasia Grand Tour, from Portugal; or two very different migrant dramas from France, Ghost Trail and Souleymane’s Story.

Accessibility: Open Captions, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/diggingdeeper-buriedtreasures/

Nasty, Brutish, & Short: A Puppet Cabaret at Constellation Chicago
2026-01-23 22:30 - 23:30 | Constellation, 3111 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, United States
Nasty, Brutish, & Short (NBS) is an evening of contemporary short-form puppet and object-based theater for adult audiences. This special late-night edition of NBS, presented as part of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, brings together out-of-town guests and esteemed local for an evening of performance unlike any other.
The performance on Friday, January 23rd at 10:30pm will be live-described via individual headset. Patrons making use of AD should plan to arrive at 10:00pm for pre-show notes, touch-tour, and early seating. Email info [at] roughhousetheater [dot] com or message @RoughPuppets on Instagram for more information and to let us know you’re coming!

Accessibility: Audio Description provided by Claire Saxe, trained audio describer, and Chicago puppetry artist.
Website: https://chicagopuppetfest.org/event/nasty-brutish-short-wknd-1-3/

A Christmas Carol - Sensory-Friendly at Goodman Theatre
2025-12-28 14:00 - 17:00 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago, 60601, United States
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Rediscover a Dickens’ classic with an adaptation that “makes you believe kindness can win” (Chicago Tribune). Follow Ebenezer Scrooge, a businessman whose disdain for the holidays is transformed on Christmas Eve. Malkia Stampley takes the reins as director, with Christopher Donahue returning as Scrooge after a “historical standout” performance in his 2024 debut (WGNRadio.com). Featuring a “first-rate cast and marvelous staging” (Chicago Sun-Times), this tale remains “the best Christmas story ever told” (Time Out Chicago).

A Christmas Carol - Sensory Friendly at Goodman Theatre
2025-12-28 14:00 - 17:00 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago, 60601, United States

Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker at the Harris Theater
2025-12-21 17:00 - 18:00 | Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E Randolph Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601, United States
Ballet Chicago presents a Sensory-Friendly performance of The Nutcracker.
This show features:
No intermission, the show will run just over an hour, with a 3-minute pause between Act 1 and Act 2.
House lights will not go dark for the show, just dimmed a bit
Music track will be moderated to diminish louder parts
Flashing, quick-changing lighting effects will be eliminated
Attendees may come and go to their seats as needed during the show
Alternate “quiet space” will be provided as needed for attendees during the show (the Theater’s Donor Room on Level 2)
31 seats are available for those in wheelchairs
All tickets are discounted to $25
The 31 wheelchair seats are also available for our four other public shows that weekend at the Harris Theater, at regular ticket prices.
For more information, contact access@harristheaterchicago.org.

Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Quiet Spaces

https://www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/nutcracker-1

The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party at Chicago Children's Theatre
2025-12-21 14:00 - 15:00 | Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
Four adorable Beatrix Potter favorites come to life in this mesmerizing, interactive trunk and puppet show, complete with original music. Storytellers weave Potter’s classic narration with gentle interactive moments, recruiting young watchers to join the adventure. After the show, head to the lobby to play with the puppets, take pictures with the cast, and join fellow Chicago families for a communal holiday party featuring a festive spread of holiday treats! Our stories this year will include a brand new tale, “The Tale of Pickles and Ginger,” with “The Tale of Tom Kitten,” “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin,” and of course, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.”
For guests who are blind or have low vision, we offer guided pre-show touch tours of the production’s props, scenery, puppets, and costumes. Guests will also have a chance to listen to the performers describe their characters and appearance. During the show, audience members listen through an earpiece to an Audio Describer, who provides in-depth descriptions of performer characterizations, actions, and staging.
Please email boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org with no less than 3 weeks notice before the scheduled AD performance to request these services.

Accessibility: Audio Description and Touch Tour

https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/event/the-beatrix-potter-holiday-party/

deCRIPtion presents: Clock Stammer: A Tactile–Acoustic Poetry Workshop
2025-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Access Living, 115 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, 60654, United States
deCRIPtion is a program done in partnership between Bodies of Work and Access Living that offers monthly poetry and storytelling workshops built by and with disability in mind both in-person and virtually.
Clock Stammer: A Tactile-Acoustic Poetry Workshop (in-person)
“Feel the poem, hear time as it crips- tactile and acoustic storytelling for every bodymind.”
What does time feel like when it slows down, speeds up, or moves in unexpected ways? Clock Stammer is a hands-on poetry workshop where we use touch, sound, and everyday materials to explore how our bodies and minds experience time differently, shaped by our disability, mental health, or daily life in general. Together, we’ll make tactile “clocks” or mosaics that map our moods, energy, and daily rhythms. Using simple materials like fabric, foil, or string, we’ll create and share poetic pieces that can be touched, heard, and felt. Open to everyone; no prior art or poetry experience needed.
In addition to kinds of access listed in our event tags, deCRIPtion trains and works with Access Doulas and fosters a space of interdependence. If you need assistance writing, reading, speaking, or with other aspects of a workshop, there will be someone who will do their best to assist you. During the registration process, please let us know what other access needs or barriers you have and we will do our best to ensure you are able to come be fully in community with us. We routinely create image descriptions, larger font materials, or other access tools when requested with enough notice and where appropriate to the workshop.
Registration and more information at the link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPt17MPPRmHB87IvOvhBvd85zob4yGA5ZI5Ouoxj9e9mUjxw/viewform?usp=header

Best of The Infinite Wrench 2025 at the Neo-Futurist Theater
2025-12-14 19:00 - 20:30 | The Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N Ashland Ave., Chicago, 60640, United States
At Best of The Infinite Wrench, The Neo-Futurists will choose thirty of our favorite plays of the year and remount them for one last hurrah. Join the entire Neo-Futurist Ensemble as they take the stage together, turning back the clock in the name of experimental performance art and nostalgia. This performance will have ASL interpretation.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted.
https://neofuturists.org/events/best-of-the-infinite-wrench/

Much Ado About Nothing - Audio Described Performance at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
2025-12-14 14:00 - 17:00 | Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave, Chicago, 60611, United States
Audio Described performance of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

Just in time for the holiday season, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com is “as merry as the day is long!”
Beatrice is living it up as a fiercely independent woman who answers to no man. Benedick is an avowed bachelor with no plans to settle down. But when these stubborn singles finally meet their match under the sultry Sicilian sun, who can resist romance? Linguistic fireworks and a hilarious battle of wits dazzle in the original “enemies-to-lovers” rom-com. Staged by famed director Selina Cadell, you’ll be transported on holiday to the warm embrace of the Italian countryside with an exceptionally talented ensemble cast in CST’s Courtyard Theater, considered one of the finest spaces to experience Shakespeare’s stories live in performance. This is Shakespeare at his very best.
Access Pay What You Can tickets starting at $39. Use code: MUCHAUDIO
Email access@chicagoshakes.com for more information.

Accessibility: Audio Description

https://www.chicagoshakes.com/productions/2526-much-ado-about-nothing/

The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party at Chicago Children's Theatre
2025-12-13 09:30 - 10:30 | Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
Four adorable Beatrix Potter favorites come to life in this mesmerizing, interactive trunk and puppet show, complete with original music. Storytellers weave Potter’s classic narration with gentle interactive moments, recruiting young watchers to join the adventure. After the show, head to the lobby to play with the puppets, take pictures with the cast, and join fellow Chicago families for a communal holiday party featuring a festive spread of holiday treats! Our stories this year will include a brand new tale, “The Tale of Pickles and Ginger,” with “The Tale of Tom Kitten,” “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin,” and of course, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.”
Tailored specifically for guests on the autism spectrum or with other sensory sensitivities, we offer performances with sensory modifications to production elements such as:

lowering the overall levels of lighting and sound
keeping the lights on above the audience for ease of movement and exit
providing sensory tools like headphones, sunglasses, and fidgets
adjusting excessively loud or startling moments of the actors’ performance
giving guests warning when a scary or startling moment of the show is coming up by holding up a glowstick**

Audience members are welcome to move about in their seating area and to vocally respond to the show, and to take breaks from these performances in a quiet break area. Most importantly, these performances are designated as a safe and welcoming environment so that everyone can experience the show in their own unique way.

Accessibility: Sensory Friendly

https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/event/the-beatrix-potter-holiday-party/

Much Ado About Nothing - Open Caption at Chicago Shakespeare Theater
2025-12-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave, Chicago, 60611, United States
Open Caption performance of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

Just in time for the holiday season, Shakespeare’s wittiest rom-com is “as merry as the day is long!”
Beatrice is living it up as a fiercely independent woman who answers to no man. Benedick is an avowed bachelor with no plans to settle down. But when these stubborn singles finally meet their match under the sultry Sicilian sun, who can resist romance? Linguistic fireworks and a hilarious battle of wits dazzle in the original “enemies-to-lovers” rom-com. Staged by famed director Selina Cadell, you’ll be transported on holiday to the warm embrace of the Italian countryside with an exceptionally talented ensemble cast in CST’s Courtyard Theater, considered one of the finest spaces to experience Shakespeare’s stories live in performance. This is Shakespeare at his very best.
Access Pay What You Can tickets starting at $39. Use code: MUCHCAPTION
Email access@chicagoshakes.com for more information.

Accessibility: Open Captions

https://www.chicagoshakes.com/productions/2526-much-ado-about-nothing/

In Andrea’s Shoes at Clarendon Community Center Park
2025-12-09 18:00 - 19:30 | Clarendon Community Center Park gallery, 4501 N Clarendon Ave, Chicago, 60640, United States
Join us for an evening of fresh works by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures at the beautifully rehabbed and fully accessible Clarendon Community Center Park gallery!
Doors and installation open 6pm
Performances 6:30-7:30pm
Two projects will be shown on this shared evening, stemming from U.D.F. and Synapse Arts’ inclusive dance partnership.
Damon’s heartfelt performance project In Andrea’s Shoes is a dance-theater tribute to her lifelong friend, told through Damon’s perspective and created in collaboration with the Halverson family.
Dancers from Unfolding Disability Futures will perform improvisational scores curated by Sydney Erlikh, drawn from her work abroad. These scores focus on community and collaboration, and invite the audience to consider what moving together offers to the self and to others.
Coexisting with the special performance on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Damon is creating a textile installation that invites anyone to contribute a message to or about Andrea Grace Halverson, or to express thoughts on loss and connection. Reflecting on friendship and remembrance, this art piece will be on display at Clarendon Park. The installation is free and open to all in person, with the option to contribute online.
In addition to the in-person program, this event will be live-streamed by the Chicago Dance History Project. A ticket is required to access the live-streamed performances from 6:30 to 7:30 PM (CDT) — reserve yours now to witness this moving tribute and powerful artistic dialogue.
The performance is all ages appropriate – there is no swearing, nudity, or scary moments. Themes around death are referenced abstractly and with love.
The livestream video will be available for on-demand viewing soon after the December 9 event. Everyone who purchases a ticket for the livestream will receive the link to the video recording at no additional cost.
FAQ’s are available at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/176LFs7AeAV9UeQWpgjlx0CG36ZAgAq88HZcr7kIMKEw/edit?usp=sharing
All tax-deductible donations go toward our inclusive dance programming, co-taught and co-presented by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/in-andreas-shoes

The Infinite Wrench at United Church of Rogers Park
2025-12-08 20:00 - 21:30 | United Church of Rogers Park, 1545 W Morse Avenue, Chicago, 60626, United States
The Neo-Futurists are bringing The Infinite Wrench to United Church of Rogers Park. At The Infinite Wrench, you’ll see thirty plays in sixty minutes written and performed by The Neo-Futurist Ensemble. Each play offers something different, be it funny, profound, elegant, disgusting, topical, irreverent, terrifying, or musical; all are original, truthful and tackle the here-and-now, inspired by the lived experiences of the performers. With new plays every week, The Infinite Wrench is The Neo-Futurists’ ongoing and ever-changing attempt to shift the conventions of live performance and speak to this unreached or unmoved by traditional theater.
The United Church of Rogers Park is ADA-Accessible. All tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible

https://neofuturists.org/events/tiw-at-united-church-of-rogers-park/

Play For All at Chicago Children's Museum
2025-12-07 | Chicago Children’s Museum, 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611-3580, United States
Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. The museum opens at 10 am for Play for All guests to enjoy an exclusive hour of play, before opening to the general public at 11 am. The first 250 children and families with disabilities who register will receive FREE admission! Pre-registration is required for free admission. Guests can come and go all day.
Accessibility: wheelchair accessible, quiet spaces.
https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all

A Christmas Carol - Audio-Described at Goodman Theatre
2025-12-06 14:00 - 17:00 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago, 60601, United States
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Rediscover a Dickens’ classic with an adaptation that “makes you believe kindness can win” (Chicago Tribune). Follow Ebenezer Scrooge, a businessman whose disdain for the holidays is transformed on Christmas Eve. Malkia Stampley takes the reins as director, with Christopher Donahue returning as Scrooge after a “historical standout” performance in his 2024 debut (WGNRadio.com). Featuring a “first-rate cast and marvelous staging” (Chicago Sun-Times), this tale remains “the best Christmas story ever told” (Time Out Chicago).
Touch Tour takes place at 12:30pm prior to the performance.

Taming of the Shrew at Court Theatre
2025-12-06 12:00 - 2025-12-07 17:00 | Court Theatre, 5535 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
by William Shakespeare
Adapted and Directed by Marti Lyons
Nov 14, 2025 — Dec 14, 2025
Welcome to a tale of deception, disguise, and desire.
The richest man in town has two daughters and one big problem: he refuses to marry the youngest, Bianca, until the eldest, Katherina, is married first. Much to her family’s dismay, Katherina repeatedly – and violently – rejects the men interested in her and her wealth, and refuses to sacrifice her independence. When a mysterious gentleman enters the mix, suddenly Kate sees that surrender is no sacrifice. Perhaps there is strength in submission.
Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Marti Lyons (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) turns William Shakespeare’s classic inside out, with a fresh interpretation focused on feminine desire. This is not your standard Shrew.
Please Note: This adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew engages with mature themes—including desire, sexuality, and power dynamics.
Accessible Performances:
ASL Interpretation: Saturday, December 6 at 2:00pm
Touch Tour: Sunday, December 7 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and Open Captioning: Sunday, December 7 at 2:00pm

A Christmas Carol - ASL at Goodman Theatre
2025-12-05 19:30 - 22:30 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago, 60601, United States

Sensory-Friendly Night at ZooLights Presented by Invesco QQQ and ComEd at Lincoln Park Zoo
2025-11-25 16:30 - 21:00 | LIncoln Park Zoo, 2400 N Cannon Drive, Chicago, 60614, United States
On this special night at ZooLights Presented by Invesco QQQ and ComEd, all blinking and moving lights are static or greatly slowed down, and music is softened or silenced. Capacity is limited to foster a safe and enjoyable guest experience, meaning there’s more space to enjoy the beautiful lights with your family and friends!
All ZooLights attractions (Light Lounge, Ferris wheel, Endangered Species Carousel, Gorilla Trek VR Experience) will be open. Santa will be present for photos, and cookie decorating will be available. The South Lawn Light Show will be set to static/non-flashing.
Lincoln Park Zoo works to minimize barriers and ensure that everyone can fully experience the zoo. The zoo is dedicated to ensuring that programs, spaces, and facilities are accessible to all. Please visit lpzoo.org/accessibility for more information.
Accessibility Map
Lincoln Park Zoo’s Accessibility Map is a high-contrast version of the zoo’s map. It identifies locations with high sensory experiences, low sensory experiences, captioned videos, tactile experiences, benches and rest stops, and spots to burn off some energy. The map also marks the lengths of zoo paths to help determine travel distance and time and location of accessibility resources and amenities.
You can access a PDF of this map here or use an interactive map on your browser or mobile device here.
Did You Know?
Your ticket purchase helps keep Chicago’s zoo free to all, 365 days a year!
Buying tickets to events like Sensory Friendly Night at ZooLights is a way to support your zoo. Proceeds from ticketed events helps keep Lincoln Park Zoo free and provide expert care to more than 650+ animals from individual diets to veterinary care.

As You Like It - ASL-Interpreted Performance at Writers Theatre
2025-11-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Ct, Glencoe, IL, 60022
ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE!
$30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTASL2526
If you experience any issues with this promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000 or email them at BOM@WritersTheatre.org.
Facing exile at home, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia seek safety and refuge in the Forest of Arden. Lost amidst the trees, these wounded souls end up finding a community of acceptance and transformational love, where all are welcomed and embraced. Featuring an original folk-pop score by Shaina Taub (the Tony Award-winning composer of Suffs), this musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic is an immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and chance encounters.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, wheelchair accessible, and assisted listening devices.
https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/as-you-like-it

Chicago Poetry Center Presents: November Blue Hour Featuring Iain at Haymarket HouseHaley Pollock and Keetje Kuipers
2025-11-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena, Chicago, 60613, United States
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our November featured readers are Iain Haley Pollock & Keetje Kuipers.
Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes, whichever comes first.
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our November featured readers are Iain Haley Pollock and Keetje Kuipers.
Each event takes place at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) and includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes, whichever comes first.
EVENT DETAILS FOR November 19:
– Workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m., ends at 7 p.m.
– Performance space doors open and open mic sign-up begins at 7 p.m.
– Reading (registration recommended but not required) begins at 7:30, followed by community gathering time.
– Reading registration is free; the workshop is sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
About the Reading:
The Blue Hour reading features readings by two poets from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a five person lottery-style open mic and followed by community gathering time.
About the Workshop:
The Blue Hour generative writing workshop is suitable for writers and poetry fans of all levels. We will discuss a poem together, then Marty will guide the group through individual writing on an exploratory prompt that draws on themes from the poem.
About the Space:
Accessibility, Health, & Safety:
– All restrooms at Haymarket House are gender-neutral, including single-user and stalled restrooms.
– Each event includes ASL interpretation. Haymarket House is ADA compliant and fully wheelchair-accessible; email curator@poetrycenter.org to ensure ramp access and with any other accessibility needs.
– Masks are strongly encouraged for all indoor events, and the space is equipped with a professional air filtration system.

Salman Rushdie: The Eleventh Hour at Chicago Humanities
2025-11-13 | Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture, 2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, 60657, United States
The internationally renowned, award-winning author Salman Rushdie discusses his newest novel, The Eleventh Hour, a spellbinding exploration of life, death, and what comes into focus during our “final act.” The quintet of stories span the three countries in which he has made his work — India, England, and America — features an unforgettable cast of characters, and asks some of life’s most daunting questions. Do we accommodate ourselves to death, or rail against it? Do we spend our “eleventh hour” in serenity or in rage? And how do we achieve fulfillment with our lives if we don’t know the end of our own stories? The Eleventh Hour ponders life and death, legacy, and identity with the penetrating insight and boundless imagination that have made Rushdie one of the most celebrated writers of our time.

Music Theater Works' GODSPELL at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts
2025-11-08 19:30 - 22:00 | North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, 60077, United States
For 50+ years, Godspell has charmed audiences with music, improv, and pop-rock hits like “Day by Day.”
In a café, a fractured community discovers the power of love and forgiveness.
Production Sponsor: Whirled Peas Foundation
In Partnership with Curt’s Café
North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie
October 23 – November 16
Book by John Michael Tebelak
Lyrics and Music by Stephen Schwartz
Directed by Matthew Silar
Choreographed by Amanda Hope
Music Directed by Justin Kono
Running time: Two hours and 10 minutes (including intermission)

Margaret Atwood: Book of Lives at Chicago Humanities
2025-11-08 19:30 - 20:30 | Francis W. Parker School, 330 W Webster Ave, IL, 60614, United States
Raised by ruggedly independent, scientifically minded parents – entomologist father, dietician mother – Atwood spent most of each year in the wild forest of northern Quebec. This childhood was unfettered and nomadic, sometimes isolated (on her eighth birthday: ‘It sounds forlorn. It was forlorn. It gets more forlorn.’), but also thrilling and beautiful. From this unconventional start, Atwood unfolds the story of her life, linking seminal moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel year that spawned Cat’s Eye to the Orwellian 1980s Berlin where she wrote The Handmaid’s Tale. In pages bursting with bohemian gatherings, her magical life with the wildly charismatic writer Graeme Gibson and major political turning points, we meet poets, bears, Hollywood actors and larger-than-life characters straight from the pages of an Atwood novel. As we travel with her along the course of her life, more and more is revealed about her writing, the connections between real life and art – and the workings of one of our greatest imaginations.

FREE ASL DOCENT-LED TOUR at National Museum of Puerto Rican Art & Culture
2025-11-08 11:00 - 12:30 | National Museum Of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, 3015 W Division St, Chicago, IL, 60622-2739, United States
Join us for a FREE docent-led tour with ASL interpretation designed to ensure everyone can fully enjoy and engage with our exhibitions. This special tour will provide deeper insights into the art and stories on view, while making the experience accessible to our Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.

Jill Lepore with Peter Sagal: We the People at Chicago Humanities
2025-11-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Francis W. Parker School, 330 W Webster Ave, IL, 60614, United States
At a time when many Americans believe the U.S. Constitution to be under threat — but disagree about the nature of that threat — bestselling author and Harvard professor Jill Lepore joins NPR host and civics enthusiast Peter Sagal to ask: Can this Constitution be saved? In We the People, her new history of the Constitution, Lepore argues that the Framers never intended for the Constitution to remain untouched, but rather expected that future generations would be forever tinkering with it and improving the machinery of government. Together, Lepore and Sagal examine the history of our Constitution, as written, as amended and unchanged, and as interpreted and misinterpreted. Are Americans trapped, enthralled, by a Constitution that no longer works? “We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country,” Lincoln said, in the midst of the Civil War. What would it mean for Americans to disenthrall themselves today?
Part of The Sagal Sessions on the U.S. Constitution
A series of talks, lectures, and debates dedicated to the U.S. Constitution, guest-curated by NPR’s Peter Sagal, recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States as an independent nation. These “Sagal Sessions on the U.S. Constitution” will investigate the world-historical document’s past, present, and future, with the help of a wide array of historians, analysts, scholars, and more. Among other topics, they will explore the Constitution’s origins, innovations and original sins, the evolutions in its meaning and purpose through crises, amendments and competing ideologies, its present day resilience and flaws, and, finally, its uncertain future. These conversations and debates will help to illuminate how the U.S. Constitution was designed, how it has succeeded, where it has failed, and how it may be preserved — as the Framers themselves put it — for ourselves and our posterity.

Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars - Open-Captioned Performance at Lookingglass Theatre
2025-11-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Lookingglass Theatre, 163 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
Motherhood, marijuana, and the multiverse collide in this Chicago-set story of family, immigration, and American identity.
Like millions of Americans, Clara is doing her best to hold everything together—working hard, raising her tween daughter Stella, caring for an aging father, and supporting her under-employed ex-husband. But when she applies for U.S. citizenship ahead of a mother-daughter trip to Paris, her application is unexpectedly flagged, exposing minor infractions in her past and threatening the only home she’s ever known. Blending grounded family drama with otherworldly wonder, this Chicago-set world premiere is a moving and provocative exploration of our country’s most fundamental values.
Originally commissioned by the Chicago Park District’s Theatre on the Lake In the Works project, in partnership with The Chicago Dramatists, previous development of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars included stagings as part of Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Festival in 2018 and Northeastern Illinois University’s thINKtank Series, co-produced in partnership with Teatro Vista, in 2024.
These performances of Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars will be open captioned with a text display of words and sounds heard during the performance. The display is positioned in such a way that it is open for anyone to see in a particular seating area. It is a service you may choose to use or ignore during the performance. Captioning is provided by c2 Inc., www.c2net.org.

Revolution(s) - Open-Captioned Performance at Goodman Theatre
2025-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago, 60601, United States
By Zayd Ayers Dohrn
Music and Lyrics by Tom Morello
Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III
October 4 – November 9, 2025
Put your hands on the wheel of history.
When soldier and aspiring musician Hampton Weems comes home from Afghanistan, he finds the South Side of Chicago is also occupied territory—and he’s accidentally joined the resistance. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and The Nightwatchman) Tom Morello brings a ground-breaking new punk/metal/hip-hop musical to our intimate Owen Theatre about a young artist finding his voice, why violence is as American as cherry pie, and how young radicals—across generations—are still motivated by love.

Frankenstein (ASL Interpreted) at Theater Wit
2025-10-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Theater Wit, 1229 W Belmont, Chicago, IL, 60657, United States
Following a sold-out run at Chicago Shakespeare Theater this spring, A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations is thrilled to bring their acclaimed adaptation of Frankenstein back to life this fall at Theater Wit for a strictly limited engagement.
Music journalist Roberta Walton (Ryan Foley) has journeyed to derelict punk club The Arctic to cover its demise, but instead finds a disoriented Victor Frankenstein (Marissa Bloodgood and Andrew Kosnik) and a much more interesting story! The neurodiverse ensemble – composed of 9 actors with varying disabilities and a team of facilitators – play multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and his Creature’s memories to life. This original adaptation blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a provocative and personal exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart.
Schedule
Friday October 24th at 7pm
Saturday October 25 at 1pm (Audio Described)
Sunday October 26 at 1pm (ASL Interpreted)
Running time
Approximately 90mins no intermission
Sensory and Content Advisory
Frankenstein includes scenes that depict bullying, threats of violence, and death. The show design incorporates projected animations, some low pulsing light, and loud music. To learn more about what to expect at the show, please refer to our Sensory Advisory Guide.
Accessibility at Frankenstein
All performances are open captioned
All performances are relaxed – you can leave the theatre at any time if you need a break and sensory support tools will be available.
Wheelchair Access
Masks are required for all attendees out of consideration for our immunocompromised community members
The performance on Saturday October 25 will be audio described
The performance on Sunday October 26th will be dual-ASL interpreted
Ticket Tiers:
All tickets are general admission.
A.B.L.E. is committed to removing barriers, and that includes ensuring our work is financially accessible for everyone who wants to attend. Pick the pricing tier that works for you:
$15 – I am ABLE to connect – this level represents ABLE’s commitment to making the arts accessible for all.
$30 – I am ABLE to contribute – this level helps offset crucial production costs like props, costumes, and rehearsal space.
$45 – I am ABLE to create – this level represents the true cost of A.B.L.E.’s programming, and helps to provide access to the arts for those in need.
Cast and Crew:
Co-Directed by: Lawrence Kern & Katie Yohe
The Ensemble: Colleen Altman, Marissa Bloodgood, Rachel Buchanan, Benjamin Collins, Ryan Foley, Erin Harvey, Paige Henderson, Andrew Kosnik, Matthew LaChapelle, Kate McDuffie, Jenna Rapisarda, Haley Schroeck, and Zachary Wandel
Stage Manager: Grecia Bahena
Lighting Design: Billy Murphy
Projection Design: Brock Alter & Alex Sokol
Original Sound Design: Nicholas Pope & Katie Yohe
Makeup Design: MK Papadatos
Prop Supervisor: Anna Katharine Mantz
Audio Description (on October 25th): Jason Harrington
ASL Interpreters (on October 26th): Sabrina Cienfuegos and Mark Motyka
Director of ASL: Peter Wujcik
Key Art Photographer: Joe Mazza/Brave Lux
Production Photography: Vashon Jordan, Jr.
Frankenstein was originally co-produced in partnership with the staff at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
A.B.L.E.’s 2025-2026 Season is partially supported by The Andrew E. Barrer Trust on behalf of The Chicago Lighthouse, The Chicago Community Trust, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, FunFund, Fs Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, and generous individuals like you!
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, wheelchair accessible, and open captions.
https://ableensemble.com/event/frankenstein/

Medea at Lyric Opera
2025-10-26 12:00 - 17:00 | Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, 60606, United States
A tale of infidelity & revenge like no other.
Accessibility: Audio Description, Touch Tour, Sound Shirt
https://www.lyricopera.org/ace-configuration/smartseat-reserve/?itemNumber=18957#/
