Chicago’s theater scene this fall features a robust lineup of new productions and revivals that address contemporary cultural debates, revisit historical moments, and highlight innovative storytelling. This surge in offerings marks one of the busiest seasons since the pandemic, with a mix of premieres, revamped classics, and significant venue openings across the city and nearby suburbs.
Steppenwolf Theatre’s new theater-in-the-round debuts with “Adirondack Chair Circle,” a world premiere by Chicago playwright Stephanie Alison Walker. The play centers on suburban mothers clashing over school reading lists, capturing the cultural disputes that have permeated American communities. Directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon, the production stars ensemble member Caroline Neff and runs from late October through early December.
Goodman Theatre opens its 2026-27 season with “The Attic: Things I’ve Seen While Lying on My Back,” a circus-infused, autobiographical piece by Shana Carroll, cofounder of the Canadian company The 7 Fingers. The show combines physical theater and personal narrative, exploring Carroll’s childhood memories, and runs through early October.
Lookingglass Theatre stages “Kowalski,” a play by Gregg Ostrin focusing on a 1947 encounter between playwright Tennessee Williams and a young Marlon Brando. This production stars Johnny Galecki and Jacob Moskovitz and serves as a potential pre-Broadway tryout, running from mid-September to late October.
TimeLine Theatre presents the world premiere of a stage adaptation by Jessica Huang of Jonathan Eig’s book “The Birth of the Pill,” which chronicles the origins of the contraceptive pill and its societal impact. Directed by Sandra Marquez, the play runs from early September through early October at TimeLine’s new Uptown facility.
Northlight Theatre inaugurates its new $33 million theater in Evanston with a fresh adaptation of the 1928 classic “The Front Page,” reimagined by Jeffrey Hatcher. The production features Kate Fry as ace reporter Hildy Johnson and marks a homecoming for the company, running mid-September to mid-October.
Gift Theatre premieres “Hayward,” a new play by ensemble member Netta Walker that delves into a woman’s grief after her father’s death, drawing on elements from classical tragedy. The show is staged in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater from mid-October through late November.
A Red Orchid Theatre tackles “Heroes of the Fourth Turning,” Will Arbery’s 2019 play about a politically charged college reunion featuring alumni engaged in candid discussions about politics and religion, including conservative perspectives less commonly represented in contemporary nonprofit theater. Directed by Dado, this production runs from late October to early December.
Victory Gardens Theater, under interim artistic director Eddie Torres, returns to active programming with “The Humanities,” a new work by Zayd Ayers Dohrn that examines the controversy surrounding a provocative speaker invited to an elite university campus. The play runs from early September to early October at Victory Gardens’ Biograph Theatre in Lincoln Park.
In musical theater, Kokandy Productions extends its run of “Jekyll & Hyde” at the Broadway Playhouse, featuring powerful ballads and a youthful cast in a campy revival of the Frank Wildhorn score. Running from early September through early November, the show has transitioned from an off-Loop production to a downtown stage with a 15-piece live orchestra.
Meanwhile, the national tour of “Operation Mincemeat,” a parody musical based on a 1943 British intelligence deception, plays at the CIBC Theatre. Known for blending British humor with energetic music and staging, this production runs from late September to mid-October.
Together, these varied productions underscore Chicago’s vibrant theatrical landscape, reflecting current cultural tensions, historical reflection, and creative innovation across multiple stages and genres this fall.