WINDFALL
Written by ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Awoye Timpo
This is a story about money. Don’t let them fool you otherwise. When a father loses his child in a clash with the police, he is visited by three strangers who advise him to take the city’s cash settlement, relocate and forget his grief–or else remain, haunted by memories of the world his child fought so hard to protect. This lyrical world premiere from Academy Award-winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney is a vital and timely look at the spirit of activism set against the most indifferent system of them all: the almighty dollar.
April 09 – May 31, 2026
Accessibility: Open Captioning, Assistive Listening Devices
Website: https://www.steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/
WINDFALL
Written by ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney
Directed by Awoye Timpo
This is a story about money. Don’t let them fool you otherwise. When a father loses his child in a clash with the police, he is visited by three strangers who advise him to take the city’s cash settlement, relocate and forget his grief–or else remain, haunted by memories of the world his child fought so hard to protect. This lyrical world premiere from Academy Award-winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney is a vital and timely look at the spirit of activism set against the most indifferent system of them all: the almighty dollar.
April 09 – May 31, 2026
Accessibility: Open Captioning, Assistive Listening Devices
Website: https://www.steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/
Synopsis:
Jane, an employee at a big tech company, has been placed on leave after video of her emotional breakdown at work went viral. Her employers tell Jane she must be evaluated by crisis therapist Loyd before she can be reinstated to the job that gives her life meaning. Their first session together, however, quickly escalates into an epic showdown with a shocking and disturbing twist. An Off-Broadway sensation, this intense psychological thriller skewers the insidiousness of the internet, the meaning of work and the ramifications of a secret revealed.
Use code WTOC2526 for $30.00 tickets!
IF YOU RUN INTO ANY ISSUES WITH THIS CODE, PLEASE CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE DIRECTLY AT 847-242-6000 OR AT BOXOFFICE@WRITERSTHEATRE.ORG
Accessibility: Open Captioning, Assistive Listening Devices, Braille Programs
Synopsis:
Jane, an employee at a big tech company, has been placed on leave after video of her emotional breakdown at work went viral. Her employers tell Jane she must be evaluated by crisis therapist Loyd before she can be reinstated to the job that gives her life meaning. Their first session together, however, quickly escalates into an epic showdown with a shocking and disturbing twist. An Off-Broadway sensation, this intense psychological thriller skewers the insidiousness of the internet, the meaning of work and the ramifications of a secret revealed.
Use code WTASL2526 for $30.00 tickets!
IF YOU RUN INTO ANY ISSUES WITH THIS CODE, PLEASE CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE DIRECTLY AT 847-242-6000 OR AT BOXOFFICE@WRITERSTHEATRE.ORG
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation, Assistive Listening Devices, Braille Programs
Ever wondered how disability is portrayed in theatre—or how it should be? This 4-hour workshop explores the connections between Disability Studies and theatre, challenging you to think critically about how disability is represented on stage and the impact of those portrayals.
Introducing concepts like narrative prosthesis and representational conundrums, this course is suitable for beginners in playwriting to those who are established playwrights. By integrating selections by Chicago-based disabled playwrights, such as Susan Nussbaum’s Mishunganismo, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how disability has been portrayed in local playwriting and what those representations do for disability.
Working in pairs or trios, you’ll develop a monologue or soliloquy exploring themes of disability, in a provided template of the standard Dramatists’ Guild format. You will have the option to cold-read in class with your fellow playwrights.
Instructor: Amelia-Marie Altstadt, a PhD candidate in Disability Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, researches disability culture, children of disabled adults, and dramatic portrayals of disability. When not leading art access with Bodies of Work or authoring plays like Up the 5 and ADHD Ballet, you can find them loving on their two cats.
1 Session, $135 ($121.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($135), Community Supported ($125), and Sponsor ($145).
Access notes: There will be a 10-minute break taken every hour, the classroom will have a SA600 air purifier from Smarter HEPA, and access copies will be provided for any materials used in the workshop.
Accessibility: Masked Highly Recommended, Wheelchair Accessible, Regular Breaks
See the Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DnYlXfwwSm0
Artistic Director Mariah Eastman premieres two complementary works “Take a Chance” and “A Choreographic Mad Lib”. “Take a Chance” builds off Merce Cunningham’s (a modern dance pioneer from the 1950s) chance practice where he or another staff member would literally roll dice to determine what costumes the dancers wore, what lighting and what music for their performance that night. For “Take a Chance”, audience members will be given the choice of two pieces of music and two sets of costumes to choose from. Generally, Darvin Dances will pick one audience member to pick the music and another to pick the costumes but for smaller audiences, we will approach it democratically with raised hands. For any spaces with theater lighting, the lighting designer will be able choose the lighting as the piece moves along. “Take a Chance” gives an opportunity for audience members to participate in the creation of the piece and will do so knowing it will never be the same again.
“A Choreographic Mad Lib” takes a different approach entirely. Using a mad lib format , audience members will be asked for verbs, adverbs, noises and even choosing what movement phrases they want to see or dancers upon entry into the space. The piece itself is a structured improvisation using the filled in mad lib as the guiding structure of the piece. After each section, the audience gets to hear what the mad lib was and will be able to see how their choices impacted the dance.
In addition to “Take a Chance” and “A Choreographic Mad Lib”, Darvin Dances is premiering “comply(DEFY)”. This work explores themes of hopelessness, perseverance, and resistance, questioning what it means to resist when resistance itself feels futile. Pondering this existential question, dancers reach upward while falling into lunges, plank rolls, attitude turns and even giving into gravity to fall to the floor. In the end, the audience is left with a message of hope – any form of resistance whether small or large, will lead us to a brighter future.
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/mariaheastman/2034290
A Festival of free and accessible classical music concerts throughout the summer, from June 10 through August 15. Held downtown, outside at the Pritzker Pavilion. The Pavilion is fully accessible to mobility aids. We offer both digital and large-print programs, as well as loaner wheelchairs, assistive listening devices, and wayfinding.
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible, Large-Print Programs, Assistive Listening Devices, Social Story
THE MOVEMENT YOU NEED: AN EVENING WITH BRENDAN HUNT
Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso’s co-creator/writer/“Coach Beard”) presents his hilarious new one-man show fueled by bittersweet memories of his Chicago childhood, a love for The Beatles that got him through it and the tongue-tied moment he met Paul McCartney. The Movement You Need is a laugh-filled love letter to the family that makes us, the music that shapes us and the crazy shit life throws our way.
Show Runs from April 19 – May 10, 2026
Closed Captions available for the May 6th performance.
If you intend to utilize the service please email access@steppenwolf.org so that a member of our team can touch base with you the evening of the performance to ensure you are properly set up with the Closed Captions.
Visit https://www.steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/ for more!
Accessibility: Closed Captions
Life happens outside of your comfort zone. Out Here is a courageous new musical, developed through a dynamic collaboration with the University of Chicago. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to be the first to experience this fresh and intimate look at a family reconfiguring itself and rediscovering joy.
Dawn has a house, a husband, and a family, but she wants more. She wants her ex-girlfriend, Robin. She wants nothing to change and she wants everything to change, and she wants to control all the terms. As she’s caught between what’s been and what’s next, Dawn must learn to reimagine her expectations, harmonize with loved ones, and trust the process. If she can do all that, she might just learn a new song. Strikingly original, Out Here explores the unexpected freedom in relinquishing control, and how, sometimes, you have to break something apart to create something better.
Led by acclaimed director Chay Yew, making his Court debut, Out Here arrives as a bold, innovative work that invites Chicago audiences to be among the very first to witness its evolution—bringing the 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion.
Open Captioning: Sunday, May 3 at 2:00pm
Accessibility: Open Captioning
Website: https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/out-here/
Life happens outside of your comfort zone. Out Here is a courageous new musical, developed through a dynamic collaboration with the University of Chicago. Audiences will have the rare opportunity to be the first to experience this fresh and intimate look at a family reconfiguring itself and rediscovering joy.
Dawn has a house, a husband, and a family, but she wants more. She wants her ex-girlfriend, Robin. She wants nothing to change and she wants everything to change, and she wants to control all the terms. As she’s caught between what’s been and what’s next, Dawn must learn to reimagine her expectations, harmonize with loved ones, and trust the process. If she can do all that, she might just learn a new song. Strikingly original, Out Here explores the unexpected freedom in relinquishing control, and how, sometimes, you have to break something apart to create something better.
Led by acclaimed director Chay Yew, making his Court debut, Out Here arrives as a bold, innovative work that invites Chicago audiences to be among the very first to witness its evolution—bringing the 2025/26 season to a joyous conclusion.
Touch Tour: Saturday, May 2 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, May 2 at 2:00pm
Accessibility: Touch Tour, ASL Interpretation, Audio Description
Website: https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/out-here/
The filmmaking toolkit is expanding fast—and AI is changing what’s possible at each stage. Join Adobe and the award-winning Sarofsky team to learn how they’re exploring AI daily: where it accelerates craft, introduces new creative choices, and how filmmakers can engage responsibly as part of an ethical, artist-first workflow. Discover practical approaches on how to use generative AI with Adobe Firefly and Premiere that can be adapted to your projects, from ideation through completion.
This event is part of CineYouth 2026, an annual film festival hosted by the Chicago International Film Festival that celebrates filmmakers 22 and younger from around the world. Held annually in Chicago at FACETS, the festival features in-theater and online screenings, hands-on workshops, live Q&As, and more. Best of all, all CineYouth events are free and open to the public!
Accessibility: Open Captions
Website: https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/event/cy26-newtools-newvoices/
The Windy City…what more needs to be said? These films sure know! From the underground music scene to local fashion, obscure histories to the history being written right now, and deeply personal statements, these films are ingrained with their own unique DNA informed by the city we call home.
This screening is part of CineYouth 2026, an annual film festival hosted by the Chicago International Film Festival that celebrates filmmakers 22 and younger from around the world. Held annually in Chicago at FACETS, the festival features in-theater and online screenings, hands-on workshops, live Q&As, and more. Best of all, all CineYouth events are free and open to the public!
Films in this program contain discussions of historical racialized violence and protests, references to drugs and alcohol, and sex.
Accessibility: Open Captions
Website: https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/cy26-locallistings/
Presented in Partnership with Access Living & Cuerpos Justificados
Art/Access Labs foster a vibrant disabled artist ecosystem through cross-discipline and cross-impairment professional development activities.
Guest Presenter:
Chris Ramos, Community Development Organizer, Latinx and Immigration, Access Living
Guest Artists:
William Estrada
Genevieve Ramos
Online Facilitator:
Terri Lynne Hudson
How can we know—and claim—our rights related to disability, immigration, free speech? How can we use our creative practice to navigate, share, and defend these rights?
This community gathering invites artists with disabilities and allies to learn about our rights and use art to help defend these rights for ourselves and others. Blending practical information with artistic activities, this interactive event aims to build solidarity and create resources to share with neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
Chris Ramos of Access Living will guide us through our rights, offering special attention to the intersection of disability rights and immigration rights, and how these rights apply to disabled immigrants who encounter immigration officials. Then we’ll invite attendees to create mini-zines for community distribution, contribute to a collaborative artwork, and to screenprint and embellish protest posters.
Virtual participants can contribute to a digital zine via Canva or join a breakout room to discuss and share accessible mutual aid efforts and resources.
Through these activities, we strengthen our ability to protect ourselves, support our community, and participate in collective resistance.
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*Hybrid Event* Attend in person or via Zoom
Doors at 1:30pm
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This event is intended to be relaxed, welcoming and comfortable for everyone. We will have multiple forms of seating available, as well as stim materials and ear defenders. You are welcome to come and go, bring your own access tools, and move about the space as needed during the event.
ASL interpretation and captions provided. All speakers will use microphones. Agendas will be provided to all registrants in both text and symbol-based formats. AI Captioning available via zoom. The main event space will not use fluorescent lighting.
Face masks are requested except when this presents a language barrier or when one is performing. Please refrain from wearing any scented perfume, cologne, lotion, etc.
For questions or requests regarding accessibility, please contact Angee Lennard, HCL’s Accessibility Coordinator, at angee@highconceptlabs.org or 312-374-1117.
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Accessibility: ASL Interpretation, Captioning, Masks Requested
Website: https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-april-2026
This spring, ABLE will mark our 10th anniversary as a 501c3 and we are celebrating in a big way with a weekend-long festival April 30-May 3rd at The Edge Theater. 78 performers – including 40 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities – will appear across 5 performances.
It’s the year 2126. While searching the deserted remains of planet earth, a team of humanitarians discover something buried in the dirt. What they find is not as simple as it first appears…In this world-premiere original play, a neurodiverse cast of 11 performers with disabilities will use movement, object work, music, and personal reflections to share this original story about the memories we hold onto and the connections we keep.
This performance of The Time Capsule features Audio Description by Jason Harrington.
Accessibility: Audio Description, Open Captioning, Sensory Friendly, Masks Required, Wheelchair Accessible
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our April featured readers are Diego Baez and Samyak Shertok.
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 April 15:
* 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.
* Register for the workshop: https://BHWorkshopApril2026.eventbrite.com
* Get your ticket for the reading: https://April2026BlueHour.eventbrite.com
* Livestream is available here. (Register for livestream reminders: https://April2026livestream.eventbrite.com)
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.
APRIL FEATURES:
Diego Báez is a writer, educator, and abolitionist. He is the author of Yaguareté White (Univ. Arizona, 2024), a finalist for The Georgia Poetry Prize and a semi-finalist for the Berkshire Prize for Poetry. A recipient of fellowships from CantoMundo, the Surge Institute, the Poetry Foundation Incubator for Community-Engaged Poets, and DreamYard’s Rad(ical) Poetry Consortium, Diego’s poems have previously appeared or are forthcoming in Freeman’s, Poetry Northwest, and Latino Poetry: A New Anthology. Book reviews have appeared at Booklist, Harriet, Letras Latinas Blog 2, and The Boston Globe. Essays and other non-fiction have been published in The Georgia Review, Spoon River Poetry Review, and Los Angeles Review of Books. Diego lives in Chicago and teaches poetry, English composition, and first-year seminars at the City Colleges, where he is an Assistant Professor of Multidisciplinary Studies.
Samyak Shertok’s debut collection, “No Rhododendron,” was selected by Kimiko Hahn for the 2024 AWP Donald Hall Prize for Poetry and is forthcoming from the University of Pittsburgh Press (Pitt Poetry Series) in 2025. His poems appear in The Cincinnati Review, The Gettysburg Review, The Iowa Review, The Kenyon Review, POETRY, Shenandoah, Best New Poets, and elsewhere. His honors include the Robert and Adele Schiff Award for Poetry, the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry, and the Auburn Witness Poetry Prize. Originally from Nepal, he was the inaugural Hughes Fellow in Poetry at Southern Methodist University and teaches creative writing at Hendrix College.
ABOUT THE HOST:
Marty McConnell is a poet, educator, and healer based in Chicago. She is the author of when they say you can’t go home again, what they mean is you were never there, winner of the 2017 Michael Waters Poetry Prize; her first full-length collection, wine for a shotgun, received the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Awards and was a finalist for both the Audre Lorde Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Her first nonfiction book, Gathering Voices: Creating a Community-Based Poetry Workshop, is available through YesYes Books. She is the co-creator and co-editor of underbelly, a web site focused on the art and magic of poetry revision. An MFA graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Best American Poetry, Southern Humanities Review, Gulf Coast, and Indiana Review.
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.poetrycenter.org/blue-hour-2025-2026-season/
This Inclusive Dance class is a community-led gathering of movers of all kinds. Each session, different facilitators and guest artists lead the group through an exploration of dancemaking tools, dance techniques, and improvisational exercises from ballet to modern. The goal of our workshops is to intentionally build a dance space grounded in disability culture, where bodies and minds of all types feel welcomed and valued.
Co-taught by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures.
Once you have registered for class, you will receive a link to join the class virtually; you are welcome to come in person or attend virtually for any class.
Regular prices
$10 per class to drop in – drop in to your first class for FREE!
$135 for Winter/Spring session (18 weeks), $90 for Fall session (12 weeks)
Discounted prices
These prices are subsidized and intended for anyone who needs a discounted rate. We do not ask for any proof or explanation.
$3 per class to drop in
$50 for Winter/Spring session (18 weeks)
$35 for Fall session (12 weeks)
Health, safety, and access:
Social distancing and mask wearing is highly encouraged. Masks will be provided.
All workshops will be held hybrid via Zoom. AI captioning will be available for all workshops. We kindly ask you to send us your request for ASL at least 3 weeks in advance by emailing jyoung@accessliving.org.
In-person classes take place in the Clarendon Park Dance Room (2nd floor, accessible via elevator). Wayfinding information here: Clarendon Community Center Park Wayfinding
For additional access service requests or onsite accessibility assistance, please contact UnfoldingDisabilityFutures@gmail.com or text the Synapse access request line at 947-2CREATE (947-227-3283) in advance.
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ASL services for the Inclusive Dance Workshop Series are supported by Unfolding Disability Futures’ artist residency with the Art & Culture Project at Access Living of Metro Chicago. This event is brought to you by the Arts and Culture Project at Access Living, an independent living center for people with disabilities, and Bodies of Work: Network of Disability Art and Culture. Bodies of Work is a part of the Department of Disability and Human Development within the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The contents of this workshop were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RTCP0005). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this workshop do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Accessibility: Captioning, Hybrid Program
Website: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-inclusive-dance
This Inclusive Dance class is a community-led gathering of movers of all kinds. Each session, different facilitators and guest artists lead the group through an exploration of dancemaking tools, dance techniques, and improvisational exercises from ballet to modern. The goal of our workshops is to intentionally build a dance space grounded in disability culture, where bodies and minds of all types feel welcomed and valued.
Co-taught by Synapse Arts and Unfolding Disability Futures.
Once you have registered for class, you will receive a link to join the class virtually; you are welcome to come in person or attend virtually for any class.
All workshops will be held hybrid via Zoom. AI captioning will be available for all workshops. We kindly ask you to send us your request for ASL at least 3 weeks in advance by emailing jyoung@accessliving.org.
In-person classes take place in the Clarendon Park Dance Room (2nd floor, accessible via elevator).
Accessibility: Captioning, Hybrid Program
Website: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-inclusive-dance
Celebrate spring with the Bi Wives Club on April 5th! The show features a stacked lineup of Chicago’s funniest comics! Not bi? No problem. Nobody’s wife? Even better.
The Bi Wives Club is a comedy showcase for all outsiders who hide in plain sight. Playful, intimate, and hilarious—audiences praise the show’s atmosphere, community, and humor. It’s both one of the funniest and most energizing shows in town.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTE: this show will include ASL interpretation! Use Promo Code: ASLCLUB
Join us on April 5th as we welcome comics Brigid Broderick, Jess Martinez, Queeny, Georgia Moore and the Bi Wives themselves: Kris Lantzy, Kayla McCaffery & Christen Manville.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $17 at the door.
Doors open at 6pm with a one-hour happy hour before the show at 7pm. Dorothy remains open after the event until 11pm.
Dorothy is 21+ and requires physical or mobile ID for entry. Dorothy is ADA accessible with elevator access on Campbell Ave. If you are a guest who requires elevator access, please wait by the black door on Campbell Ave with the Dorothy logo in the window and call staff to assist at 773-770-3799.
Please note: refund requests are only available until 24h before the event (4/4, 7pm). No other refund requests will be honored.
Follow the Bi Wives Club on Instagram at @theBiWivesClub to see full performer bios and future show announcements.
ABOUT THE COMEDIANS
BRIGID BRODERICK is a very young gay comedian from Chicago. Her absurd stream of consciousness musical comedy and characters explore the inner lives of tiny animals, southern cheerleaders, and also gay guys. It’s kind of likeeeee what if a girl was actually a clownish mouse? What then? Ya know? A pillar of the community, you can catch her performing at Color Club, Cafe Mustache, Dorothy, Empty Bottle, Sleeping Village, and mostly anyplace that has a light up old style sign outside. She hopes to one day become a contestant on Traitors or a wife.
JESS MARTINEZ (she/they) is a Chicago-based writer, comedian, and actor who enjoys making audiences laugh as she genuinely tries to make sense of the world around her. She fell in love with comedy when she discovered Comedy Central specials in the early 2000s. Comedians like Mitch Hedberg, Mike Birbiglia, and Maria Bamford made such a lasting impression that she eventually found herself on stage in 2017. Her meticulous approach to projects on and off the stage led her to shape prominent productions like The Moth StorySLAM Chicago, Las Locas Comedy, and the Latina Comedy Festival. Jess is now a Tía at Tus Tías Productions, a cast member of the Ratas de dos Patas comedy collective, and owner of Bright Noodle Studios.
QUEENY is a Chicago based comedian and producer. He/she/they/it can best be described as an irreverent observer and is also the producer of the Windy City Comedy Fest.
GEORGIA MOORE is a young up and coming Chicago comedian!! You can catch her on Prime Time every Saturday at the Lincoln Lodge!!
The comedian producers of the Bi Wives Club are three bi wives (not to each other) who perform, celebrate, and promote joke-dense, authentic comedy. KRIS LANTZY is a queer comic and hot mom tackling alllll ‘the issues’ through her playful comedic lens, like what to do when everyone thinks your wife is your sister? CHRISTEN MANVILLE has an unmatched ability to inhabit discordant perspectives with ease. She is the ideal date for an X-rated experimental puppet show and your grandmother’s 80th birthday party. KAYLA MCCAFFREY is an actor, comedian, and improvisor as well as a newlywed wife, inner child nurturer, and vegan dog mom. Kayla jumps between her too-many roles with ease and throws her whole heart into everything she does.
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our March featured readers are April Gibson and Mira Cameron.
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 March 18:
* 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.
* Register for the workshop here: https://BHWorkshopMarch2026.eventbrite.com
* Get your ticket for the reading here: https://March2026BlueHour.eventbrite.com
* Livestream is available here: https://March2026livestream.eventbrite.com
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.
MARCH FEATURES:
April Gibson is a poet, writer, and professor whose work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Rhino, Prairie Schooner and elsewhere. Her poetry collection, “The Span of a Small Forever” (Amistad/HarperCollins, 2024) was shortlisted for a Chicago Review of Books Award and first runner-up for Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago. April is a recipient of The Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award, and she has received grants, fellowships, or residencies from the Poetry Foundation, Tin House, Callaloo, Vermont Studio Center, the National Endowment for the Humanities and others. April is an Assistant Professor of English at Malcolm X College.
Mira Cameron is a girl helping create, maybe anarchy, or a phantasia, or a group of trans people holding hands. She is playing in warm dirt and trying to feed as many as she can, or otherwise, editing the poetry section of Imposter.
ABOUT THE HOST:
Marty McConnell is a poet, educator, and healer based in Chicago. She is the author of when they say you can’t go home again, what they mean is you were never there, winner of the 2017 Michael Waters Poetry Prize; her first full-length collection, wine for a shotgun, received the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Awards and was a finalist for both the Audre Lorde Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Her first nonfiction book, Gathering Voices: Creating a Community-Based Poetry Workshop, is available through YesYes Books. She is the co-creator and co-editor of underbelly, a web site focused on the art and magic of poetry revision. An MFA graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Best American Poetry, Southern Humanities Review, Gulf Coast, and Indiana Review.
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation, Wheelchair Accessible
Sinopsis:
Atrapadas bajo arresto domiciliario, la novelista María Celia y su hermana Sofía escuchan rumores sobre la partida de los rusos de Cuba en 1991. Mientras esperan noticias del esposo exiliado de María Celia y sueñan con la libertad, su pequeño mundo se ve sacudido por la llegada de un romántico afinador de pianos y un carismático oficial militar obsesionado con los escritos de María Celia.
Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics) teje una auténtica historia de opresión, espíritu humano y destinos entrelazados en un mundo de cambiante política global.
Synopsis:
Trapped under house arrest, novelist Maria Celia and her sister Sofia can still hear the rumors of the Russians’ departure from Cuba in 1991. While awaiting news from Maria Celia’s exiled husband and dreaming of their freedom, the two sisters find their small world unexpectedly shaken by the arrival of a romantic young piano tuner and a charismatic military officer infatuated with Maria Celia’s writing.
Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics) weaves an authentic tale of oppression, human spirit, and intertwining fates in a world of shifting global politics.
Writers Theatre ofrece una funcion Subtítulada en Español de Two Sisters and a Piano el 20 de Marzo a las 7:30PM.
Para obtener botelos para esta presentación especial usa el código WTOC2526 para conseguir boletos de $30.00! *SI TIENE ALGUN PROBLEMA CON EL CODIGO AL FINALIZAR LA COMPRA, POR FAVOR CONTACTENOS POR EMAIL A BOXOFFICE@WRITERSTHEATRE.ORG O POR TELEFONO 847-242-6000*
Trapped under house arrest, novelist Maria Celia and her sister Sofia can still hear the rumors of the Russians’ departure from Cuba in 1991. While awaiting news from Maria Celia’s exiled husband and dreaming of their freedom, the two sisters find their small world unexpectedly shaken by the arrival of a romantic young piano tuner and a charismatic military officer infatuated with Maria Celia’s writing.
Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics) weaves an authentic tale of oppression, human spirit, and intertwining fates in a world of shifting global politics.
Accessibility: Open Captions
https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/two-sisters-and-a-piano
Use code WTOC2526 to access $30.00 tickets.
*If you experience any issues with this code, please contact the box office directly at 847-242-6000 or via email at boxoffice@writerstheatre.org
Now in its 21st edition, CineYouth is Cinema/Chicago’s annual film festival celebrating filmmakers 22 and younger from around the world. Since 2005, CineYouth has provided a platform for emerging talent to share their work, connect with fellow filmmakers, and learn from industry professionals.
Held annually in Chicago at FACETS, the festival features in-theater and online screenings, hands-on workshops, live Q&As, and more.
Best of all, all CineYouth events are FREE and open to the public!
Hands Up! Don’t Go There brings together seasoned performers with and without disabilities to share profound and deeply moving personal stories. The performance explores topics people often avoid—experiences that are difficult, uncomfortable, or rarely discussed, yet essential to name and confront. Through Tellin’ Tales’ unique platform, artists from diverse backgrounds engage in writing, story development, and live performance to illuminate these often-silenced narratives.
Website: tellintales.org
Suggested Donation: $20
Students and People with Disabilities $15
Kohl Children’s Museum welcomes children with disabilities and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8.
Accessibility: Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/outreach-programs/eap/
WHITE ROOSTER
World Premiere
Written and Directed by Matthew C. Yee
WHITE ROOSTER is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancé won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.
March 11, 2026
We want everyone to enjoy live theatre, and our pay what you can performances are an opportunity to make it easier for all to see our shows. We ask you please pay a minimum of $5 – and if you are able to pay more, we appreciate your donation to help us continue these performances. Visit the link below to secure your pay what you can tickets. All tickets will have a seat assigned and will be available at will call on March 11. Contact the box office for any seating requests.
https://purchase.lookingglasstheatre.org/ChooseSeats/55001
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible, Assistive Listening Devices
Website: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/white-rooster/
WHITE ROOSTER
World Premiere
Written and Directed by Matthew C. Yee
WHITE ROOSTER is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancé won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.
Show runs March 5 – April 12, 2026
Open Captioning on April 3rd performance. Unlock $35 tickets for our Open Captioning line of sight seating by using the code CAPTION online, over the phone, or via email.
Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility for more!
Accessibility: Open Captioning, Wheelchair Accessible, Assistive Listening Devices
Website: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/white-rooster/
Travel through The Plant on an art scavenger hunt, witnessing works in progress by disabled artists and their allies. Join us for a dance workshop, bring your crafting projects to craft care with others, or grab a beer in the brewery, and listen to tunes.
Schedule-
Catch performances and events from UDF members and creators, Will Bennet, Maggie Bridger, Erin Compton, Sydney Erlikh, Tsehaye Hebert, Kris Lenzo, Terri Lynn Hudson, Lauren Sheely and Andy Slater. Joined by artists Matt Bodett, Aquil Charlton, Meesh Sara Fradkin, and others!
A tour of The Plant will be held at 2pm sharp; advance tickets are recommended and available at this link: https://bubbly-dynamics-llc.square.site/shop/tour-of-the-plant/20
Stop by The Jungle Taproom at The Plant, a collaboration by Whiner Beer Co. and SomosMonos Cervecería, for good times! Raza’s Pizza will be slinging NY-style pies, burgers, and much more for all appetites and dietary preferences from 2-9:30pm.
If you feel you might need an access tool during this event, but do not have it or the ability to acquire it, please reach out to us at unfoldingdisabilityfutures@gmail.com.
Accessibility: Quiet Spaces, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.unfoldingdisabilityfutures.com/artsy-antifreeze-at-the-plant
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our February featured readers are Jalen Eutsey and Michelle Peñaloza.
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.
FEBRUARY FEATURES:
Michelle Peñaloza is the author of “All The Words I Can Remember Are Poems,” winner of the 2024 Lexi Rudnitsky Editor’s Choice Award and the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets (Persea Books, 2025). Her debut, “Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire,” won the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize. The proud daughter of Filipino immigrants, Michelle was born in the suburbs of Detroit, MI and raised in Nashville, TN. She now lives in Covelo, CA.
Jalen Eutsey is a writer from Miami, Florida. A recipient of the Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, his poems have appeared in Best New Poets, The Yale Review, Poetry Northwest, and The Hopkins Review. His chapbook, “Bubble Gum Stadium,” was published by Button Poetry.
EVENT DETAILS FOR February 18:
The workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m.
Doors open and open mic lottery registration starts at 7 p.m. — the open mic begins promptly at 7:30, followed by our amazing featured readers.
Reading registration is free; the workshop is a sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
Register for the workshop here (required, and sells out quickly):
https://BHWorkshopFeb2026.eventbrite.com
And RSVP for the reading here (recommended):
https://Feb2026BlueHour.eventbrite.com
View the livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/@chicagopoetrycenter/streams
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.
Please let us know if you have any specific accessibility questions; if you use a wheelchair, please contact curator@poetrycenter.org to coordinate use of the ramp.
Accessibility: Professional ASL interpretation is provided for the open mic and featured reading portion of the event. Haymarket House is fully ADA-compliant and wheelchair accessible.
Website: https://www.poetrycenter.org/event/blue-hour-jalen-eutsey-michelle-penaloza/
Kohl Children’s Museum welcomes children with disabilities and their families for an afternoon of learning and play focused on them. Our Museum campus is designed for universal accessibility with a purpose to encourage linguistic, cognitive, motor and social skills for all children ages birth to 8.
Accessibility: Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org/outreach-programs/eap/
Hubbard Street returns to our Chicago home at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance to present a thrilling Winter Series program of works that probe the depths of human experience, choreographed by some of the most prolific voices in contemporary dance.
Like “an exuberant burst of fresh air” (The Boston Globe), Amy Hall Garner’s effervescent full company piece ‘As the Wind Blows’ (2022) returns to Chicago on the heels of Garner’s recent New York City Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater commissions. New to the repertoire, the high-energy ‘Touch & Agree’ by Juel D. Lane explores the nuances of modern relationships over a soundtrack featuring Sam Cooke, James Blake, H.E.R., and Byrell the Great. The sweeping ‘Gnawa’ by Nacho Duato closes the program, a beloved full company work originally created for Hubbard Street in 2005 that Dance Magazine called an “almost religious experience.”
The Sunday, March 1, 2pm matinee performance of Winter Series includes the following accessibility services:
– American Sign Language interpretation (Interpreter located Stage Right/House Left)
– Audio Description
Use promo code ACCESS for $22 tickets (plus handling fee) in any seat in the house! Limit 9 tickets per order. Discount applied at checkout.
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation, Audio Description
Hands Up! Don’t Go There brings together seasoned performers with and without disabilities to share profound and deeply moving personal stories. The performance explores topics people often avoid—experiences that are difficult, uncomfortable, or rarely discussed, yet essential to name and confront. Through Tellin’ Tales’ unique platform, artists from diverse backgrounds engage in writing, story development, and live performance to illuminate these often-silenced narratives.
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation
Website: https://tellintales.org/
August Strindberg’s Miss Julie is a confrontation of class, gender, and desire at the turn of the twentieth century that’s as relevant today as when it was first written.
Miss Julie wants to abandon her upper-class, aristocratic life and escape the expectations that trap her. Jean, her servant, wants to climb the social ladder and rise through the ranks of society. Over the course of a wine-soaked evening, the two jockey for position, using sex, status, and strategy to collide and combust.
Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent (A Raisin in the Sun) directs one of Strindberg’s most celebrated works, interrogating the limitations of politics and position, and the tension between who we are and who we want to be.
Open Captioning: Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 pm
Accessibility: Open Captioning
Website: https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/miss-julie/
August Strindberg’s Miss Julie is a confrontation of class, gender, and desire at the turn of the twentieth century that’s as relevant today as when it was first written.
Miss Julie wants to abandon her upper-class, aristocratic life and escape the expectations that trap her. Jean, her servant, wants to climb the social ladder and rise through the ranks of society. Over the course of a wine-soaked evening, the two jockey for position, using sex, status, and strategy to collide and combust.
Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent (A Raisin in the Sun) directs one of Strindberg’s most celebrated works, interrogating the limitations of politics and position, and the tension between who we are and who we want to be.
Touch Tour: Saturday, February 28 at 12:30 pm
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, February 28 at 2:00 pm
Accessibility: Touch Tour, Audio Description, ASL Interpretation
Website: https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/miss-julie/
Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come and experience CCM’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs. Special activities include hand-cycling, wheelchair racing, roller sled hockey, soccer, Boccia, amputee soccer, yoga and a See & Touch Prosthetics display.
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: Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all
The Bi Wives Club is a comedy showcase for all outsiders who hide in plain sight. The show is a playful, intimate, and reliably hilarious fan favorite. Audiences praise the humor, atmosphere, and the show’s sense of community and connection. It’s both one of the funniest & most energizing shows in town. At this performance on February 1st at 7pm, ASL Interpretation will be provided, use code ASLCLUB to access discounted $10 tickets.
Doors open at 6pm with a one hour happy hour before our show begins at 7pm. Dorothy remains open after the event until 11pm.
Dorothy is 21+ and requires physical or mobile ID for all to enter. Dorothy is also ADA accessible with elevator access on Campbell Ave. If you are a guest who requires elevator access, please wait by the black door on Campell Ave with our logo in the window and call our staff to assist: 773-770-3799
Please note: refund requests are only available until 24h before the event (1/31, 7pm). No other refund requests will be honored.
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation
Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-bi-wives-club-a-comedy-showcase-tickets-1979633455957
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ABOUT THE COMEDIANS
DEANNA ORTIZ was voted Best Standup in The Chicago Reader 3 years in a row, and named one of Time Out’s Comics To Watch in 2025, Deanna Ortiz is the host of the podcast ‘Crushes!’, ‘Crime For Bed’ on Hatch+, and The Drunk Cooking Show on Instagram. She has worked as a contributing writer for NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, and her standup has been featured in Vulture, WGN News, FOX Good Day Chicago, and TimeOut Chicago.
“GABBY” GABE SKLAN is a comedian, clown, and award-winning playwright who performs and produces comedy and variety shows all across the city. Their work prioritizes cultivating presence of mind and treating subject matter with all due respect (even when that’s none).
AMBA WALKA is a multi-platform journalist, producer, comedian, and founder of The Crib Comedy Playspace a production house and incubator for Chicago comedic talent to perform, connect and create. Follow her across social platforms @AmbaWalka.
ANNA LUCERO is the bi girlfriend of a British man (not posh British, more like a retired soccer hooligan) and makes her money as a hairstylist. She previously produced The Gogo Show at The Lincoln Loft for 12 years & often performs with Las Locas. You can see when she’s performing next on her ig: @annalu312.
The comedian producers of the Bi Wives Club are three bi wives (not to each other) who perform, celebrate, and promote joke-dense authentic comedy. KRIS LANTZY is a queer comic and hot mom tackling alllll ‘the issues’ through her playful comedic lens, like what to do when everyone thinks your wife is your sister? CHRISTEN MANVILLE has an unmatched ability to inhabit discordant perspectives with ease. She is the ideal date for an X-rated experimental puppet show or your grandmother’s 80th birthday party. KAYLA MCCAFFREY is an actor, comedian, and improvisor as well as a newlywed wife, inner child nurturer, and vegan dog mom. Kayla jumps between her too-many roles with ease and throws her whole heart into everything she does.
Since 2016, A.B.L.E. has been creating innovative theatre and film projects for, with, and by actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A.B.L.E. has built a methodology rooted in fostering agency and celebrating the creativity of individuals of all abilities. Join A.B.L.E.’s Founder and Executive Director, Katie Yohe, and our team of Creative Associates to experience our approach first hand in this interactive training. We’ll examine some of the barriers facing disabled and neurodivergent actors in a traditional performing arts setting, and share our top 10 tips for accommodating neurodivergent performers. Participants will come away with a deeper awareness and understanding of the disability community, and practical strategies that can make their rehearsal process effective and welcoming for participants with a variety of learning and communication styles.
This session is ideal for Teaching Artists, directors, performers, and arts educators who want to revitalize their practice and develop tools and techniques for making their sessions more inclusive.
Advanced registration is required and must be received before Wednesday January 28th at 5pm.
Accessibility at this session:
Website: https://ableensemble.com/event/inclusive-rehearsal-feb26/
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/
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: Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
Website: https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/play-for-all
In this fun murder-mystery play, based on the popular board game and movie of the same name, a mysterious dinner party in 1954 Washington, D.C. turns into a swift-moving whodunit investigation. Scandal, secret passages, and slapstick comedy collide as weapons drop, fingers point, and bodies pile up. As suspense builds and betrayal abounds, motives are unmasked. Clue will be directed by BTG newcomer Anna Rachel Troy (Chicago), with Assistant Direction by Lewis R. Jones (Riverside). This fan-favorite farce for all ages is being produced by Tanya Harasym (Oak Lawn) and Kenneth J. Krajniak (Orland Park).
Enjoy our $50 Dinner and a Show package via our partnership with Jenny’s Steak and Banquets to celebrate Valentine’s Day Weekend!
For more information on group rates, call our Box Office at 773-BTG-TIXS (773-284-8497).
Looking for ASL seating for opening night? Please email us at tickets@beverlytheatreguild.org or leave a message for the box office with your online order number.
TICKETS:
Adults:$25, Active U.S. Military/Seniors/BTG Members: $23. Student and group rates also available! Prices listed do NOT include a $2 online processing fee per ticket. Don’t wait to secure your tickets as we may sell out! Visit beverlytheatreguild.org/btg-tickets today! 🌐
Accessibility: ASL Interpretation
Website: beverlytheatreguild.org/btg-tickets
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Family members and companions are welcome.
Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
A low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Low Lighting, ASL Interpretation
Website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Family members and companions are welcome.
Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
A low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity
Accessibility: Sensory Friendly, Low Lighting, ASL Interpretation
Website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters
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/
WHITE ROOSTER
World Premiere
Written and Directed by Matthew C. Yee
WHITE ROOSTER is a darkly funny tale of love, loss and the strange things we inherit. After a family tragedy, Min is pulled into a world of restless spirits, old curses and mysterious traditions. Her fiancé won’t stay dead, her sister won’t stay buried and a rooster won’t be ignored. Blending spooky folklore with offbeat humor, White Rooster is a haunting tale of grief, family and the messiness of moving on.
March 5 – April 12, 2026
Masks are required for all patrons, staff, volunteers, and crew for the March 3rd performance.
Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility for more!
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:
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.
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
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/
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/
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/
UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY
World Premiere
Written by Kevin Douglas
Directed by Devon DeMayo
Hilarity (and tragedy) ensue in the World Premiere of UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY when Val, a vampire, is in a new relationship with a mortal, Dom, each having different ideas about where their relationship should go. Rose, Val’s progeny, wants Val to consider leaving the country, and on top of that, Val’s estranged brother has returned, coincidentally, as a serial killer terrorizes the streets of Chicago. UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY explores love, codependency, unwavering convictions and vampires.
June 4 – July 12, 2026
Open Captions on July 1, 2026
Unlock $35 tickets using the code CAPTION online, over the phone, or in-person. Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility or contact us for more!
Accessibility: Open Captions
https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/untitled-vampire-play/
UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY
World Premiere
Written by Kevin Douglas
Directed by Devon DeMayo
Hilarity (and tragedy) ensue in the World Premiere of UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY when Val, a vampire, is in a new relationship with a mortal, Dom, each having different ideas about where their relationship should go. Rose, Val’s progeny, wants Val to consider leaving the country, and on top of that, Val’s estranged brother has returned, coincidentally, as a serial killer terrorizes the streets of Chicago. UNTITLED VAMPIRE PLAY explores love, codependency, unwavering convictions and vampires.
June 4 – July 12, 2026, accessible performance July 9, 2026.
Unlock $35 tickets using the code AUDIO online, over the phone, or in-person.
The Touch Tour will begin at 1PM and curtain is at 2PM. Visit Lookingglasstheatre.org/accessibility or contact us for more!
Accessibility: Touch tour, Audio Description, Assistive Listening Devices, Wheelchair accessible, and All Gender restrooms.
https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/untitled-vampire-play/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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: Audio description, wheelchair accessible, and open captions.
The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop. Our October featured readers are Rhoni Blankenhorn & Alicia Wright.
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 OCTOBER 15th:
The workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m. and ends at 7 p.m.
Doors open and open mic lottery registration starts at 7 p.m. — the open mic begins promptly at 7:30, followed by our amazing featured readers.
Reading registration is free; the workshop is a sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
Register for the workshop here (required, and sells out quickly):
https://BHWorkshopOct2025.eventbrite.com
And RSVP for the reading here (recommended):
https://Oct2025BlueHour.eventbrite.com
View the livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/@chicagopoetrycenter/streams
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 currently strongly encouraged for all indoor events and the space is equipped with a professional air filtration system.
OCTOBER FEATURES:
Rhoni Blankenhorn is a Filipina American writer. Her poems can be found in The Slowdown, Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s The Margins, Narrative, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of fellowships and scholarships from Bread Loaf, Saltonstall, and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Rhoni’s poetry debut, Rooms for Dead and the Not Yet, won the Trio Award, and was published with Trio House Press (July, 2025).
Alicia Wright is the author of “You’re Called By The Same Sound” (Thirdhand Books, 2025) and the forthcoming essay chapbook “A Coin, A Moth, A Literary Journal” from DoubleCoss Press. Her poetry appears in Kenyon Review, Chicago Review, and The Paris Review, among others. She is the editor of Annulet and publisher of Annulet Editions. She lives in Iowa City, where she works as Managing Editor of The Iowa Review.
ABOUT THE HOST:
Marty McConnell is a poet educator and healer based in Chicago. She is the author of when they say you can’t go home again what they mean is you were never there winner of the 2017 Michael Waters Poetry Prize; her first full-length collection wine for a shotgun received the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Awards and was a finalist for both the Audre Lorde Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Her first nonfiction book Gathering Voices: Creating a Community-Based Poetry Workshop is available through YesYes Books. She is the co-creator and co-editor of underbelly a web site focused on the art and magic of poetry revision. An MFA graduate of Sarah Lawrence College her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Best American Poetry Southern Humanities Review Gulf Coast and Indiana Review.
To learn more about the series and history go here ( https://www.poetrycenter.org/reading-series/)
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, gender-neutral bathrooms, wheelchair accessible.
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.
Art/Access Lab: Open Lab provides artists in the disability community an affinity space for artists to share emerging projects, test ideas, and gain perspective on their work through community exchange.
Attendees are invited to support the creative process by first experiencing emerging projects that are in the development phase, then participating in a moderated conversation that delves into that work. Guided by the needs of the artist, this conversation may explore the themes presented in the work, invite the audience to ask questions and share critique, or the artist may ask questions to the audience regarding their experience of the work.
*Hybrid Event* Attend in person or via Zoom
Doors at 1:30pm
Event starts at 2:00pm
Event ends at 4:00pm
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, open captions, sensory friendly, virtual or in-person.
https://highconceptlabs.org/events/art-access-lab-october-2025
Our future feels uncertain, yet we are resoundingly called to what matters most: You and me. Us. Humanity, itself. At TEDxChicago 2025, we believe the most powerful force shaping tomorrow is our collective agency, imagination, desire for connection and laughter, dignity, and generosity. This year, our speakers and artists arrive on Chicago’s stage to share their ideas, showcasing their fierce commitment to unify science, technology, and sustainability with the essential principles of compassion, justice, and care. This is our love letter to Chicago.
Join us at TEDxChicago 2025: The Future is Human. Grab your tickets now at TEDxChicago.com
Accessibility
TEDxChicago will have ASL interpreters throughout the experience. Additionally, the Harris Theater offers a range of spaces for wheelchair access. Please notify us of your accessibility accommodations in ticket registration.
The TEDxChicago Experience
Join us on Friday, September 26th at the Harris Theater for the TEDxGlobal Idea Search session, featuring talks selected by TED, and two TEDxChicago sessions featuring talks from nine amazing Chicagoans, a number of incredible performances, opportunities to engage and connect over delicious food and beverage from local artisans and chefs, and become part of this massive celebration of ideas about our shared future.
Included in Every TEDxChicago Ticket
A ticket is all inclusive to the TEDxChicago experience: Including the TEDx Global Idea Search session (you must indicate that you plan to join us for this session), and both stage sessions and all break experiences. You’ll enjoy:
Snacks from a variety local food artisans
Hosted beer and wine and other beverages,
9 TEDxChicago talks
3 live performances from the TEDxChicago Stage
10 TEDx Global Idea Search Talks
and many opportunities to engage local art and fellow Chicagoans.
If you’d like to pre-order a subsidized lunch during the TEDx Global Idea Search session, you will be able to purchase an add-on with your ticket.
Additionally, a premium ticket option is available that includes premium access seating, as well as exciting and exclusive Patron opportunities. You can learn more about the TEDxChicago Patron program at TEDxChicago.com/Patron.
Schedule
Your ticket includes all sessions. Attendees are highly encouraged to attend the TEDxGlobal Idea Search Session in addition to the TEDxChicago: The Future is Human sessions.
11:30 AM: Registration
12:30 PM: Session 1: TEDx Global Idea Search
2:00 PM: Intermission & Late Registration
3:00 PM: Session 2: TEDxChicago The Future is Human
5:00 PM: Happy Hour!
6:00 PM: Session 3: TEDxChicago The Future is Human
7:30 PM: Event Concludes
Please see the current list of speakers, performers, and more details at TEDxChicago.com
Accessibility: ASL interpreted, wheelchair accessible.
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.
Award-winning Russian-American novelist Gary Shteyngart offers an entirely original literary perspective, merging memoir and satire to create contemporary characters informed by his upbringing in Soviet Leningrad, his Jewish heritage, and his marriage and child with a woman of Korean descent. Join us for a conversation featuring Shteyngart’s signature blend of psyche and style as he discusses his new book Vera, or Faith: a poignant, sharp-eyed, and bitterly funny tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart.
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.
Along with the Chicago River, sway and dance with the wind, light, and grasses, finding symbiotic nature within and around yourself in a city!! Asian Body Therapist Jennifer O”Hara and award-winning dancer/choreographer Ayako Kato will guide you to sense our physicality with the way of nature! This is a part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks program and will take place at River Esplanade Park between 10 am – 12 pm on Sat, August 23, 2025. We gather at the large water fountain (upon registration, you will receive more detailed info). For more information about the event and free registration, please visit Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/noitp-art-of-being-move-with-waterways-river-esplanade-park-ver-3-2-tickets-1360601398409?aff=oddtdtcreator
Ayako Kato URL: www.ayakokatodance.com
Co-Produced by The Factory Theater and Unheard Of Company, be the first to witness this new devised piece of documentary theater from The Meaningful Action Theatre Company in their debut reading! Despite past rumors of being “unorganized”, “pretentious”, and “Who?”, we have been assured that this New Institution To Watch (2011) will deliver an evening of theatre about Chester Greenwood Day unlike any you’ve seen before. Join us at The Factory Theater for 20 one-night-only presentations that will make you cherish the earmuffs in your life.
Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent.
The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog.
Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.
Performance:
Touch Tour: Saturday, October 4 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and ASL Interpretation: Saturday, October 4 at 2:00pm
Accessibility: Touch tour, ASL interpreted, and audio description.
https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/big-white-fog/
Theodore Ward’s Big White Fog is the big shoulders on which A Raisin in the Sun stands. First completed in 1938, funded by the Federal Theatre Project, and influenced by the South Side Writers Group that cultivated such iconic talents as Richard Wright and Margaret Walker, Big White Fog drove American realism forward by contending with discontent.
The United States is on the cusp of the Great Depression and, like many, the Mason family is struggling. Between the precarious economy and racial violence on Chicago’s segregated South Side, something’s got to give. As different generations strive to secure the Mason family’s future, catastrophic decisions are made, leading to a heartbreaking twist and a blistering condemnation of America’s Big White Fog.
Resident Artist and the nation’s preeminent director of August Wilson Ron OJ Parson (East Texas Hot Links) opens the 2025/26 season with this rich portrayal of Black life on Chicago’s South Side.
Performance Sunday, October 5 at at 2:00pm
Accessibility: Open captioning.
https://www.courttheatre.org/season-tickets/2025-2026-season/big-white-fog/
ASL INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE! $30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTASL2526
Performance on Saturday, August 30 at 2pm.
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.
Having safely escaped Russia during the 1917 revolution, beloved composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff performed all over the world before eventually making his home in sunny Beverly Hills. Privately longing for the Russia that he knew and loved as a young man, a figure from his past continues to haunt him—Tsar Nicholas II. Hershey Felder’s newest musical play will feature the virtuoso actor/pianist in the role of Rachmaninoff alongside British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri in the role of Nicholas II. Featuring the composer’s most beloved works, Rachmaninoff and the Tsar promises to be another mystical musical journey in the inimitable Hershey Felder style that audiences have come to know and love.
Accessibility: ASL interpreted.
https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/hershey-felders-rachmaninoff-and-the-tsar-
OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCE! $30.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE USE PROMO CODE: WTOC2526
Performance on Thursday, Saturday 04 at 7:30pm.
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.
Having safely escaped Russia during the 1917 revolution, beloved composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff performed all over the world before eventually making his home in sunny Beverly Hills. Privately longing for the Russia that he knew and loved as a young man, a figure from his past continues to haunt him—Tsar Nicholas II. Hershey Felder’s newest musical play will feature the virtuoso actor/pianist in the role of Rachmaninoff alongside British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri in the role of Nicholas II. Featuring the composer’s most beloved works, Rachmaninoff and the Tsar promises to be another mystical musical journey in the inimitable Hershey Felder style that audiences have come to know and love.
Accessibility: Open captioning.
https://www.writerstheatre.org/events/hershey-felders-rachmaninoff-and-the-tsar-
A Gathering: Artists Design the Future & Community Of The Arts share the journey to accessible, inclusive ETOD work-live development in South Shore.
Imagine how art and culture build community, wealth and wellness and generate dynamic entrepreneurial zones.
Sisters in Cinema Media Arts Center is a fully accessible venue hosting ADtF for this conversation. Inclusivity and accessibility impact our work to center an arts and culture ecosystem in South Shore.
This gathering celebrates Disability Pride Month, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and innovation in arts and ownership.
Accessibility: ASL Interpreted, wheelchair accessible, all gender restrooms.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-gathering-tickets-1493522860079?aff=oddtdtcreator
Sundance-award winning documentary LIFE AFTER, directed by Reid Davenport, is coming to Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center on July 27 at 3:00PM!
The screening, in partnership with FWD-Doc, is followed by a talkback with Reid Davenport and Keidra Chaney of the Disability Culture Lab, moderated by FWD-Doc’s executive director Cassidy Dimon. If you can’t attend the in-person event, you can catch the film virtually in the days following.
From Multitude Films, LIFE AFTER is a gripping personal investigation that exposes the tangled web of moral dilemmas and profit motives surrounding assisted dying. Director Reid Davenport asks a probing question, why is it acceptable to give disabled people the means to die, before supporting them in the chance to live?
Find tickets and more at lifeafterfilm.com/screenings.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Audio Description, and Q&A ASL interpreter provided. See venue website for more accessibility information.
Chicagoland DPOCC, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center on Racial and Disability Justice Hosts 5th Annual Accessible Juneteenth
For immediate release
2025 Accessible Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 18th, 2025
4 to 7:30 PM CDT
UIC Quad (near the UIC Student Center East Building)
750 S. Halsted St. Chicago, IL 60607
Join the UIC Disability Cultural Center, the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (supported by UIC’s Institute on Disability and Human Development), and the Center for Racial and Disability Justice at Northwestern University for the fifth Accessible Juneteenth, where we celebrate the Black disability community! We want to make Juneteenth a fun and accessible experience for all, including disabled people in the African Diaspora. We will have the following at the event:
Food
Performances
Open MicExhibitors
Family-friendly, Non-alcoholic Event
About Accessible Juneteenth 2025
This year, DJ Matt returns to bless us with music fit for our Accessible Juneteenth celebration.
We’ll kick the evening of performances off with Victoria Boateng’s djembe, and Accessible Juneteenth MC Donna will be BACK hosting an Open Mic where you can share your talents in singing, spoken word, playing instruments, and more! Pinqy Ring and J Bambii will headline the performances this year.
Sign up for the open mic now! Sign-ups for spots in person will be limited.Link to sign up for Open Mic: https://forms.gle/vSsJML6wQnXL8CXa8
We are excited to share food from Cook It Mama Café (sandwiches & salads with vegan & gluten-free options).
We’ll have tables where you can meet people from Black-owned and disability-owned/friendly organizations and businesses. If you’re a Black and/or disability-owned/friendly business and organization, and you would like to be an exhibitor, sign up at: https://forms.gle/ECokkvxpo9qqu1UZ9
We are also looking for volunteers to help run many aspects of Accessible Juneteenth; if you’re interested, sign up at: https://forms.gle/rv8thrYGcSxunYcX9
Access Information
ASL and captioning will be provided for the Open Mic and showcase portion. We’ll have tents for shade, and the nearby Latino Cultural Center will be available for a quiet, cool-off space! For the care of immunocompromised people in our community, please wear a mask indoors. We’ll have extras on hand! Accessibility requests, questions, or event inquiries can be sent to dcc@uic.edu
What to Expect
4:30pm Welcome and Announcements
5:00pm Open Mic & Showcase
Throughout: Food! Exhibitors! And more
Getting there
Accessible Juneteenth will be located along the north side of the UIC Quad (behind UIC Student Center East); 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
From Halsted Street, enter Student Center East, and go to the back campus-facing doors. Continue straight between Lecture Centers C and D to the Quad.
From Harrison Street (near Blue Line west entrances), cross Harrison to the east of the tall white dorm with the Starbucks in it, and continue down the main sidewalk through campus. Go between Lecture Center A and B to enter the Quad.
From Taylor Street, go straight through the covered corridor through the Science and Engineering Labs, and continue straight. Go between Lecture Center E and D to the Quad.
From Taylor and Morgan, follow the path from the corner into campus, and veer slightly left to approach the Lecture Centers. Go between Lecture Center E and F to enter the Quad.
Go to a visual map with these access routes
The best address for scheduling pick-ups or drop-offs is Student Center East, a wheelchair-accessible building at 750 S Halsted St.
TRANSIT
Two blocks away from the West exit of the UIC/Halsted Blue Line train station.
The 7-Harrison and 60-Blue Island/26th CTA buses pick up on Harrison, in front of the Behavioral Sciences Building.
VISITOR PARKING LOTS
Halsted and Taylor Lot
Harrison Street Parking Structure (1100 West Harrison Street)
This event is brought to you by: Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition, The Institute on Disability and Human Development, UIC Disability Cultural Center, and Center for Racial and Disability Justice (Northwestern University)
Contact UIC Disability Cultural Center for more information or if you have any questions about the event: dcc@uic.edu.
Join us for a moderated community conversation exploring how artists of South Asia and the diaspora navigate careers at the intersection of art and disability. This event invites participants into a community-building experience that highlights the resilience of artists with disabilities working in creative fields that are often not designed with accessibility in mind. Together, we will engage in critical reflection and discuss how humanities-based institutions can lead the way in fostering more inclusive and accessible spaces.
The conversation will be moderated by Anand Venkatkrishnan, an intellectual historian of South Asian religion and author of Love in the Time of Scholarship: The Bhāgavata Purāṇa in Indian Intellectual History.
Featured speakers include:
Pooja Pittie, a Chicago-based visual artist living with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, whose work explores the tension between a slowing body and an active, curious mind.
Grishma Shah, a self-taught painter and public health professional whose experience with a physical disability inspires her art and advocacy for disability as a valued identity.
Priya Rama, an Ohio-based artist who channels chronic migraines into vivid, expressive work, encouraging creativity as a response to chronic pain and stress.
ASL interpretation and online participation options will be available. Please RSVP to receive a zoom link morning of the event. Mask-wearing is strongly encouraged in person.
This program is supported by a Healing IL grant from the Field Foundation and Illinois Humanities.
OPEN CAPTION PERFORMANCE on THURSDAY, JULY 10 at 7:30PM! $30.00 tickets with code WTOC2425. *If you are experiencing any issues with applying the promo code, please reach out to the box office at 847-242-6000*
Dhaba Canteen has been a stalwart institution on Chicago’s Devon Avenue since the ‘80s, serving up delicious Sindhi food with the power to transport diners back to the halcyon days of undivided India. Times are changing, however. With the bank threatening foreclosure and Chef Neeraj’s health in decline, the restaurant may soon be cooking up its last meal—unless sous chef Rita can convince her father to let her take over the kitchen. Rich with culinary tradition and dramatic twists, Dhaba on Devon Avenue serves up a searing Chicago-set story of family, legacy, and survival at all costs.
Chicago Industry Exchange / Workshop
Join Lucas Joaquin, a producer on the recent A24 release Death Of a Unicorn, for an illuminating conversation about producing independent films.
Event will take place in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.
About Lucas Joaquin
headshot: Lucas JoaquinLucas Joaquin is a creative producer in New York City and a founding member, with producer Drew Houpt and writer/director/producer Alex Scharfman, of the production company Secret Engine.
Recent films include Death Of a Unicorn written and directed by Scharfman, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, with A24, Ley Line, and Square Peg (SXSW 2025); Hold Your Breath directed by Karrie Crouse and Will Joines, starring Sarah Paulson released by Searchlight (TIFF 2024); House of Spoils directed by Bridget Savage-Cole & Danielle Krudy, starring Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, released by Amazon MGM Studios; and Andrew Semans’ Resurrection (Sundance 2022) starring Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth released by IFC Films and Shudder.
He was Executive Producer of Ira Sachs’s Peter Hujar’s Day, starring Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall (Sundance, 2025); Blow the Man Down, directed by Bridget Savage-Cole & Danielle Krudy (TIFF, 2019), released by Amazon Studios; and Ira Sachs’s Frankie, starring Isabelle Huppert and Marisa Tomei, (Cannes 2019) released by Sony Pictures Classics.
Before co-founding Secret Engine, Joaquin produced several acclaimed features, including Ira Sachs’s Keep the Lights On, Love Is Strange, and Little Men. He was a Sundance Creative Producing Lab Fellow, a member of AMPAS, has taught at Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and worked for several years with the prolific production company Parts & Labor (The Witch, Beginners).
A Summer Celebration of Sound, Movement, & Light
6:00 to 7:00 pm: Pre-Show Reception
AI Photobooth by Christopher Knowlton
Video screenings by Carissa Lee, Alexander Stewart & Tirtza Even
Silent Auction
Costa Rican fare from Irazu
7:00 to 9:30 pm: Benefit Performances
Spectralina
Tom Lee
Andy Slater
Helen Lee
Event Co-Chairs
Ayako Kato & Rachel Much
Come support High Concept Labs for an evening of fundraising with experimental, multi-disciplinary, and lovely genre-defying artistic projects, rounded out with delicious food and a silent auction. Artists include many HCL alumni as well as special guest Spectralina, the audio-visual performance project of Dan Bitney and Selina Trepp.
In recognition of HCL’s long-running Open Lab series, a platform for artists to gain perspective on work-in-development through community exchange, Esther Grimm, an artist and arts leadership coach and the founding Executive Director of 3Arts, will moderate a conversation with Andy Slater following his autobiographical performance.
Hosted at the beloved Links Hall, the evening is designed to delight, inspire, and ignite new ideas with performances that incorporate improvisation, audience engagement, puppetry, augmented reality, and more.
Proceeds will support the 2025 Residency, our Strategic Plan, and our Cash Reserve Challenge. Ticket sales and all donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar, with donations from first-time donors matched 3-to-1.
Directed by Darren Thornton
Countries Ireland Year 2016
Synopsis
Released after a short stint in prison, Mary finds everything and everyone around her changed. Her best friend Charlene is engaged, but, convinced she’ll never find a date, refuses Mary a “plus one” at the wedding. Incensed, Mary sets out to prove Charlene wrong… but is she? A tough and tender comedy about friendship, first love, and finding your true self.
Language English
Run Time 82 minutes
Directed by Raine Allen-Miller
Countries United Kingdom Year 2023
Synopsis
In this visually vibrant, exhilarating modern romance, a chance meeting between Yas and Dom, two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad breakups, sparks an electrifying day of soul searching in South London. The two form an unlikely connection as they help one another nurse their heartbreak, hoping to restore their faith in love.
Join HCL, UDF, and Bri Beck for a facilitated community conversation surrounding the nuanced challenges of cross disability access in personal, professional, and communal spaces.
As disabled people, we often navigate the complexities of self-disclosure, accessibility, and supporting one another—especially when our access needs conflict. How do we balance personal well-being with community care? How can we acknowledge and navigate these tensions while fostering inclusivity?
Facilitated by Bri Beck, a licensed clinical professional counselor, this workshop invites participants into a thoughtful discussion on the realities of conflicting access needs. Together, we will explore expectations, boundaries, and the emotional complexities that arise when our needs don’t align. Through guided conversations and small-group discussions, we’ll reflect on real-life scenarios, share strategies, and consider how to create more inclusive spaces without sacrificing individual support.
All are welcome to join this important dialogue on the nuances of accessibility, interdependence, and the challenges of building truly inclusive communities.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible
Award-winning author and longtime climate and human rights activist Rebecca Solnit joins Chicago Humanities to explore how our actions can shape the future and the liberating possibilities of embracing uncertainty. In her latest collection of essays, No Straight Road Takes You There, Solnit dissects topics like climate change, feminism, democracy, hope, and power, and urges us to heed the stories we tell or have been told, and the ways those stories can be, or should be changed. She asks us to embrace unpredictability, slowness, and imperfection in the politics of how to change the world.
ACCESSIBILITY: Assistive Listening Devices, Open Captions, Quiet Spaces, Wheelchair Accessible
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater with a punk-inspired re-telling of Frankenstein.
The neurodiverse ensemble will transform The Upstairs Studio into a run-down punk club called The Arctic, and trade off playing multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and the Creature’s stories to life. The production blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart. How far would YOU go to chase a dream?
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Content Warning: Frankenstein contains scenes depicting bullying, threats of violence, and death. The production design includes recorded music and animated projection.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Masks Required, Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible
A.B.L.E.—Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations—a Chicago-based nonprofit that creates theatre and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is thrilled to return to Chicago Shakespeare Theater with a punk-inspired re-telling of Frankenstein.
The neurodiverse ensemble will transform The Upstairs Studio into a run-down punk club called The Arctic, and trade off playing multiple characters as they bring Frankenstein and the Creature’s stories to life. The production blends music, movement, and scenes devised by the group into a powerful exploration of ambition, isolation, and the balance between the head and the heart. How far would YOU go to chase a dream?
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission
Content Warning: Frankenstein contains scenes depicting bullying, threats of violence, and death. The production design includes recorded music and animated projection.
ACCESSIBILITY: Open Captions, Sensory Friendly, Wheelchair Accessible, Masks Required
CONTACT: Marty McConnell, Blue Hour curator, marty@poetrycenter.org
The Chicago Poetry Center invites you to this year’s final three editions of Blue Hour, voted “Chicago’s best reading series 2025” by the Chicago Reader! Blue Hour is a free monthly in-person reading series paired with a generative writing workshop.
The next Blue Hour will take place on Wednesday, April 16. The writing workshop will run from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the open mic and featured readers from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Our features for the night are Ayokunle Falomo and Viola Lee.
Ayokunle Falomo is Nigerian, American, and the author of “Autobiomythography of” (Alice James Books, 2024), “AFRICANAMERICAN’T” (FlowerSong Press, 2022), two self-published collections and “African, American” (New Delta Review, 2019; selected by Selah Saterstrom as the winner of New Delta Review’s 8th annual chapbook contest). He is the recipient of fellowships from Vermont Studio Center, MacDowell, and the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program, where he obtained his MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry.
Viola Lee graduated from NYU with an MFA in Poetry. Her book “Lightening after the Echo” was published by Another New Calligraphy. She has published poems in literary journals throughout the US, including Barrow Street, Bellevue Literary Review, and Another Chicago Magazine. Her poems were finalists in the Pleiades Prufer Poetry Prize and the 2022 Mississippi Review Poetry Prize. Her manuscript “The Only Home” was a finalist in the 2023 Switchback Books’ Gatewood Prize, Semi-finalist in the 2023 Perugia Press Poetry Prize and finalist in the 2024 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize.
Registration for the April edition of the Blue Hour reading is available https://AprilBlueHour.eventbrite.com.
Registration for the April edition of the workshop is available https://april25-bluehour-workshop.eventbrite.com.
The workshop and reading both take place at Haymarket House located at 800 W. Buena in Chicago. The reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets. Pre-registration is free and recommended.
May’s featured poets will be Nadia Alexis and Keith S. Wilson. Information about the series, including upcoming features and the history of the series, can be obtained here.
ACCESSIBILITY: ASL Interpreted, Wheelchair Accessible
Play For All invites children and families with disabilities and Museum members to come 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 came come and go all day.
Accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible, Quiet Spaces
https://www.chicagochildrensmuseum.org/accessibility-and-inclusion#pfa
Sunday, April 27
8 a.m.–10 a.m.
Lincoln Park Zoo is offering Sensory-Friendly Morning hours to benefit guests of all ages! People with disabilities or chronic illness, or members of the Deaf community, can experience the zoo grounds and animal buildings in a comfortable and inclusive environment. Modifications include limited capacity and muted attractions. This is a free event, but it does require advanced registration.
During Sensory-Friendly Morning, the Gift Shop will be open at 8 a.m. and Eadie Levy’s Landmark Café will sell beverages starting at 8:30 a.m. The Endangered Species Carousel and Lionel Train Adventure will operate with music and noises at lower levels. Not all animal buildings may be open, and some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces.
At 10 a.m., the zoo will be open to the public and begin typical operations.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and its accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo’s social story on iOS or Android
Please enter at the West Gate or East Gate. You must present your registration email to zoo ushers.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine. You may still enjoy the wonderful animal buildings if it rains, and the carousel is covered.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for additional guidelines.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For more information, email access@lpzoo.org.
Sunday, July 20
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo is a free program for all people who benefit from visiting the zoo without crowds and other sensitive environmental elements. This includes guests with sensory sensitivities, disabilities, and chronic illness. All guests are welcome at Sensory-Friendly Day. This limited-capacity event requires advanced registration.
During Sensory-Friendly Day at Farm-in-the-Zoo, animal buildings may be open—but some animals may not be in their public viewing spaces. Low-sensory activities will be available.
While you may enter before or after your one-hour timed entry window, you are strongly encouraged to come during your assigned timed entry window to help limit crowd sizes. Limited crowd size is one of the most important ways to make this day sensory-friendly. Thank you.
View the zoo’s accessibility map HERE and its accessibility page HERE to help plan your visit.
Lincoln Park Zoo is certified Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity. Download the free KultureCity app with Lincoln Park Zoo’s social story on iOS or Android
Upon arrival, present your registration email to zoo ushers. Please note: This event is only happening at Farm-in-the-Zoo. The rest of Lincoln Park Zoo will operate as usual.
Paid parking is available at the zoo’s parking lot located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive (2400 N. Cannon Drive). The zoo is also accessible by train via the Armitage and Fullerton stations and by bus via the 22, 36, 151, and 156 routes.
All Lincoln Park Zoo events take place rain or shine.
There is no smoking at Lincoln Park Zoo for the health of the animals in our care. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for additional guidelines.
Pets are not allowed at the zoo, but licensed service animals are welcome.
For more information, email access@lpzoo.org.
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Brendan Pelsue
Directed by Mikael Burke
It’s still the best of times and the worst of times. In a society where the gap between the rich and poor widens, and the cries for revolution grow louder, one can relate. This bold reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of revolution shows us that while a story may be 165 years old, some things never change. Or, can they?
Audio-Described and Touch Tour:
Friday, May 23rd at 7:30 pm
(6:15 pm touch tour, 7:30 pm curtain)
Accessibility: audio-described and touch tour
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/530/performances
A Tale of Two Cities
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Brendan Pelsue
Directed by Mikael Burke
It’s still the best of times and the worst of times. In a society where the gap between the rich and poor widens, and the cries for revolution grow louder, one can relate. This bold reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of revolution shows us that while a story may be 165 years old, some things never change. Or, can they?
Open-Captioned Public Performance:
Sunday, May 25th at 3 pm
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/530/performances
In Hands Up! Forgiveness, seasoned performers bring profound and deeply moving stories to life. Storytellers with and without disabilities share real-life experiences that reveal the transformative power of compassion, wisdom, and kindness in the face of pain and betrayal. These stories illuminate the difficult choices people make to let go of hurt, reminding us that forgiveness is a choice, not an obligation. It is sometimes less about absolving others and more about healing for oneself. The show will incorporate the uplifting and transformative djembe drumming performed by Victoria Boateng. In addition, the theme will be explored through the movement, music, and expressions evoked by the dances of ReinventAbility. This show invites us to see forgiveness not as an act of weakness, but as a courageous, self-nurturing choice that teaches us about the depths of empathy and strength we carry within. Includes Talk Back after the show.
In Hands Up! Forgiveness, seasoned performers bring profound and deeply moving stories to life. Storytellers with and without disabilities share real-life experiences that reveal the transformative power of compassion, wisdom, and kindness in the face of pain and betrayal. These stories illuminate the difficult choices people make to let go of hurt, reminding us that forgiveness is a choice, not an obligation. It is sometimes less about absolving others and more about healing for oneself. The show will incorporate the uplifting and transformative djembe drumming performed by Victoria Boateng. In addition, the theme will be explored through the movement, music, and expressions evoked by the dances of ReinventAbility. This show invites us to see forgiveness not as an act of weakness, but as a courageous, self-nurturing choice that teaches us about the depths of empathy and strength we carry within.
In Hands Up! Forgiveness, seasoned performers bring profound and deeply moving stories to life. Storytellers with and without disabilities share real-life experiences that reveal the transformative power of compassion, wisdom, and kindness in the face of pain and betrayal. These stories illuminate the difficult choices people make to let go of hurt, reminding us that forgiveness is a choice, not an obligation. It is sometimes less about absolving others and more about healing for oneself. The show will incorporate the uplifting and transformative djembe drumming performed by Victoria Boateng. In addition, the theme will be explored through the movement, music, and expressions evoked by the dances of ReinventAbility. This show invites us to see forgiveness not as an act of weakness, but as a courageous, self-nurturing choice that teaches us about the depths of empathy and strength we carry within.
This touch tour will include the opportunity to touch fabric swatches and accessories created to match the pieces on display, which will give tour-goers additional sensory information about select objects in the Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective exhibition. While this tour can be especially meaningful for visitors who are blind or have low vision, any Museum visitor will enjoy the experience.
DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) is dedicated to being an accessible, inclusive environment for children to thrive through extraordinary learning experiences. Adaptive Play Time provides a modified environment for families with disabilities and/or those who may need a calmer experience to enjoy the Museum.
At DCM, kids are inspired to be curious, creative, and full of wonder. Designed for children ages 0-10 years, the Museum invites families to explore hands-on exhibits where learning happens through play.
Imagine building towering structures with giant blocks, experimenting with gravity, discovering the properties of air and water, and so much more. From babies crawling through soft play spaces to young inventors problem-solving in engineering exhibits, there’s something to captivate and engage every age.
Plan your visit: dupagechildrens.org/adaptive-play-time/
DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) is dedicated to being an accessible, inclusive environment for children to thrive through extraordinary learning experiences. Adaptive Play Time provides a modified environment for families with disabilities and/or those who may need a calmer experience to enjoy the Museum.
At DCM, kids are inspired to be curious, creative, and full of wonder. Designed for children ages 0-10 years, the Museum invites families to explore hands-on exhibits where learning happens through play.
Imagine building towering structures with giant blocks, experimenting with gravity, discovering the properties of air and water, and so much more. From babies crawling through soft play spaces to young inventors problem-solving in engineering exhibits, there’s something to captivate and engage every age.
Plan your visit: dupagechildrens.org/adaptive-play-time/
Play for All invites children and families with disabilities to come and experience Chicago Children’s Museum’s inclusive, multisensory exhibits and programs free of charge with pre-registration. The museum will open at 10 am for pre-registered guests with disabilities and CCM members, before opening to the public at 11 am. Guests are welcome to come and go all day.
CCM‘s Play for All initiative creates a community where play and learning connect for visitors of all abilities. For accessible accommodations call (312) 321-6551 or email us at customersupport@chicagochildrensmuseum.org.
Tellin’ Tales Theatre takes its mission “to shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of personal story” to the world of improv. “What’s Yours Like” is inspired by a theme developed by the audience at the start of each show. Then, improvisers with and without disabilities leap into action and develop humorous and unpredictable narratives in real-time. The end result matches the spontaneity and unpredictability of life, making each show a unique experience. “Mine is shriveled.” “Mine vibrates.” “Mine hangs to the left.”… “What’s yours like?”
Accessibility: ASL interpretation
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Nate Santana
It’s the graveyard shift at a high-rise, apartment lobby in Manhattan. A rudderless security guard, his demanding supervisor, a rookie cop, and her self-assured partner are forced to navigate the question of whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason can ever be justified. When they look in the mirror what will they see, and what will they accept about themselves as they figure out what kind of person they want to be in their quest for truth? Charm, romance, and humor abound in this darkly comedic drama by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea.
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes with intermission
Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase access tickets with the code “ACCESS20”* at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please also email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to make sure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs!
SGT is happy to have both Touch Tour/Audio Description performances as well as Open Caption performances. Please see the individual show pages for more information.
Theater Wit has Assistive Listening devices available. Please see the box office for more details.
Accessibility: Open Captions, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/529/performances
Written by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Nate Santana
It’s the graveyard shift at a high-rise, apartment lobby in Manhattan. A rudderless security guard, his demanding supervisor, a rookie cop, and her self-assured partner are forced to navigate the question of whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason can ever be justified. When they look in the mirror what will they see, and what will they accept about themselves as they figure out what kind of person they want to be in their quest for truth? Charm, romance, and humor abound in this darkly comedic drama by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea.
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes with intermission
Theater Wit is wheelchair accessible, and all patrons with disability needs are invited to purchase access tickets with the code “ACCESS20”* at Theater Wit’s checkout page. Please also email boxoffice@theaterwit.org to make sure we can reserve the right seat for your access needs!
SGT is happy to have both Touch Tour/Audio Description performances as well as Open Caption performances. Please see the individual show pages for more information.
Theater Wit has Assistive Listening devices available. Please see the box office for more details.
Accessibility: Audio Description, Assistive Listening Devices, and Wheelchair Accessible.
https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/529/performances
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Accessibility & Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
A low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity
Complimentary 4D Experiences during the event
Family members and companions are welcome.
https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters
Calm Waters is an exclusive event for guests with disabilities and Veterans to explore Shedd Aquarium’s exhibits and experiences in a comfortable and accepting environment. Modifications for this event will include limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration.
Accessibility & Modifications for Calm Waters Include:
Limited capacity and streamlined entry with advance registration
A low-sensory animal spotlight with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
An animal encounter opportunity
Complimentary 4D Experiences during the event
Family members and companions are welcome.
https://www.sheddaquarium.org/plan-a-visit/accessibility/calm-waters