Court Theatre

Court Theatre Court Theatre is a Tony Award-winning center for classic theater located in the heart of Hyde Park.
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Established in 1955, Court Theatre is the professional theatre on campus at the University of Chicago. We are guided by our mission to create innovative productions of classic plays that are thought provoking, character-driven, and thematically enduring. Through main stage productions, audience enrichment programs, and collaborations with the University of Chicago, we re-examine, re-envision, and

renew classic texts that pose enduring and provocative questions that define the human experience. Underlying this mission is our vision of becoming the Center for Classic Theatre, where the arts community looks for leadership in the creation, production and study of classic theatrical works. Court works to fulfill this mission first through the rigorous exploration of dramatic texts, including the African-American canon and musical theatre works; second by expanding the canon of classic theatre through initiatives such as the Barbara E. Franke Commissioning Program for New Classics; and third, by ongoing institutional strategic planning, which currently includes the possibility of an expanded, state-of-the-art facility. In all of its work, Court strives to sustain an artistic environment conducive to deeply creative work. Named “the most consistently excellent theater company in America” by The Wall Street Journal, Court has a national reputation for excellence and innovation. Through five adventurous and compelling main stage productions per season, as well as a wealth of free symposia, post-performance discussions and education programs, it endeavors to make a lasting contribution to American theatre by thoroughly examining and imaginatively re-envisioning classic works to illuminate timeless themes and uncover immediately relevant messages.

03/30/2025

Join us in resistance and resilience. The public programs celebrating the world premiere of BERLIN start next week → https://bit.ly/BerlinPrograms...
🎬 Video from “The Concord Hour” by Damon Locks and Rob Mazurek, directed by Damon Locks and Rob Shaw, from the album New Future City Radio courtesy of International Anthem

Meet the cast of BERLIN, a new adaptation by Mickle Maher, based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes, and directed by Ch...
03/27/2025

Meet the cast of BERLIN, a new adaptation by Mickle Maher, based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes, and directed by Charles Newell → https://bit.ly/WillkommenBerlin

From left to right, top to bottom: Terry Bell, Kate Collins, Tim Decker, Jack Doherty, Ellie Duffey, Molly Hernández, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Brandon Ruiter, Mo Shipley, Guy Van Swearingen, HB Ward, and Raven Whitley.

It is 1928. Fascism is taking hold; creatives are trying to capture the ineffable nature of their changing city; and – as everything falls apart – everyone is faced with a choice: abandon Berlin or fight to survive.

Performances begin April 19. We'll see you in Berlin!

It’s UChicago Giving Day! Gifts made from noon today until noon tomorrow have a greater impact than at any other time of...
03/25/2025

It’s UChicago Giving Day! Gifts made from noon today until noon tomorrow have a greater impact than at any other time of year. If we receive 80 donations of any amount, we'll unlock a $25,000 gift from donor Michael Litt.

Contributions to Court Theatre support the work on our stage, our popular public programs, and our education programs that bring theatre magic to students across Chicagoland.

Support the arts. Support Tony Award-winning theatre on the South Side. Support Court →

Informed by the world-renowned scholarship of the University of Chicago and rooted in Chicago’s historic South Side, the Tony Award–winning Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times through provocative and intimate productions. In our 70-year history, we have achie...

“There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing.”Happy Closing to the ...
03/23/2025

“There is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing.”

Happy Closing to the cast, crew, and creative team of A RAISIN IN THE SUN. Thank you for all you did to bring Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece to life, and congratulations on a critically acclaimed, twice-extended run.

It has been a privilege to tell this story about the South Side, on the South Side. Over the last seven weeks, we welcomed hundreds of first-time Court patrons and nearly 1,500 Chicagoland students, and we saw unprecedented attendance at our complementary public programs. The response - the love - has been overwhelming.

As we say goodbye to the Younger family, their friends, and their neighbors, we will take Lorraine Hansberry’s words to heart: no matter what, there is always something left to love. May we never forget that lesson. ...
📸 Kierra Bunch, Brian Keys, Martasia Jones, Shanésia Davis, and Jeremias Darville by Michael Brosilow
📸 Shanésia Davis by Michael Brosilow
📸 Kierra Bunch and Brian Keys by Michael Brosilow
📸 Di'Aire Wilson and Brian Keys by Michael Brosilow
📸 Jeremias Darville and Brian Keys by Michael Brosilow
📸 Martasia Jones and Charles Andrew Gardner by Michael Brosilow
📸 Martasia Jones and Eliott Johnson by Michael Brosilow
📸 Brian Keys, Julian Parker, and Kierra Bunch by Michael Brosilow
📸 J. Nicole Brooks and Shanésia Davis by Michael Brosilow
📸 Vincent Teninty, Martasia Jones, and Brian Keys by Michael Brosilow
🎭 Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent
🛠️ Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce
👔 Costume Design by Raquel Adorno
💡 Lighting Design by Maximo Grano de Oro
🎶 Sound Design by Willow James
📚 Production Dramaturgy by Khalid Long
🗣 Vocal and Dialect Design by Sammi Grant
✅ Culture and Consent Consultant, Sheryl Williams
📒 Production Stage Manager, Kate Ocker
📒 Assistant Stage Manager, Jaclynn Joslin
📒 Floor Manager, Ashton Goren

Mark your calendars for UChicago Giving Day, held from noon on Tuesday, March 25 through noon on Wednesday, March 26!If ...
03/22/2025

Mark your calendars for UChicago Giving Day, held from noon on Tuesday, March 25 through noon on Wednesday, March 26!

If 80 people donate within this 24-hour period, we unlock a $25,000 matching gift from donor Michael Litt. Giving Day is the best way to maximize your impact, build on the momentum of our critically acclaimed, twice-extended production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN, and celebrate our 70th season.

Support Court and preserve the legacy of classic theatre for years to come. ...
📸 Kierra Bunch, Brian Keys, Shanésia Davis by Michael Brosilow
📸 Jeremias Darville, Shanésia Davis, and Martasia Jones by Michael Brosilow
📸 Vincent Teninty and Kierra Bunch by Michael Brosilow
📸 D'Aire Wilson and Shanésia Davis by Michael Brosilow
🎭 Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent
🛠️ Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce
👔 Costume Design by Raquel Adorno
💡 Lighting Design by Maximo Grano de Oro
🎶 Sound Design by Willow James
📚 Production Dramaturgy by Khalid Long
🗣 Vocal and Dialect Design by Sammi Grant
✅ Culture and Consent Consultant, Sheryl Williams
📒 Production Stage Manager, Kate Ocker
📒 Assistant Stage Manager, Jaclynn Joslin
📒 Floor Manager, Ashton Goren

03/21/2025

New programs just dropped! As we look ahead to BERLIN, we invite you to join us for these complementary public programs, including a book signing with graphic novelist Jason Lutes, a drag king-centered cabaret, a screening of CABARET, and so much more.

Featuring partnerships with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Public Media Institute, The Seminary Co-op Bookstores, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, the University of Chicago Film Studies Center, and Po'Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder.

Join us in resistance and resilience → https://bit.ly/BerlinPrograms...
🎬 Video from “The Concord Hour,” directed by Damon Locks and Rob Shaw

For the second segment of Culture and Region As Told Through Props, Head of Props Lara Musard gives us a look behind the...
03/20/2025

For the second segment of Culture and Region As Told Through Props, Head of Props Lara Musard gives us a look behind the curtain, showcasing another object: the Younger family's new curtains.

These aren't just swathes of fabric. Rather, they're a symbol of hope and an homage to local Black businesses in Chicago:

"Once she discovers that her family will be moving to Clybourne Park, Ruth Younger takes a break from packing to pick up those quality curtains with hand-turned hems at the three-story department store on the corner of 47th Street and South King Drive. From 1928 -1971, the South Center Department Store stood in bustling Bronzeville, selling everything from curtains, to 'jewelry, hats, shoes, and handbags to paint, washing machines, and canary birds,' according to The Chicago Crusader.

When multimillionaire S.B. Fuller added the store to his business empire, the store became the nation’s largest Black-owned department store, rejecting racist hiring practices and enthusiastically recruiting Black employees and customers. Today, the Harold Washington Cultural Center stands at South Center Department Store’s former site."

Experience Lorraine Hansberry's iconic South Side story on the South Side - A RAISIN IN THE SUN must close on Sunday, March 23! Join us before the end of the run....
📸 and prop by Lara Musard
Label designed by Persephone Lawrence

Lorraine Hansberry’s A RAISIN IN THE SUN is a masterpiece of American realism, a moving portrayal of the multi-generatio...
03/18/2025

Lorraine Hansberry’s A RAISIN IN THE SUN is a masterpiece of American realism, a moving portrayal of the multi-generational Younger family in their cramped kitchenette apartment. That can only mean one thing: hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of props.

Below, Court’s Head of Props Lara Musard highlights one of these props - the Binga State Bank envelope - to illustrate how the details of this family’s life and circumstances are reflected in the items we see onstage. Check out her Culture and Region As Told Through Props segment below:

"As Court’s staging of A RAISIN IN THE SUN takes place in Anytime (to highlight the play’s universality and relevance beyond 1950s Chicago), we imagine Lena Younger receiving Big Walter’s life insurance payout – the cash to invest in the future of her children – from Binga Bank. Founded in 1908 by Jessie Binga, who made history as the first Black person to charter a privately-owned bank in Chicago, the bank provided access to 'financial services for Black people living on the South Side' and opportunities for upward mobility, according to Chicago Southsider. Jessie Binga’s Arcade Building opened in 1929 at 35th and State and closed in 1930, making it the first Chicago bank closure of the Great Depression."

Check out these props in person! A RAISIN IN THE SUN must close on Sunday, March 23. ...
📸 and ✉️ Lara Musard
📚 Information sourced from Chicago Southsider and Axios

"You must attend...It is good for your teaching but – more importantly – your spirit.“Calling all educators! Application...
03/17/2025

"You must attend...It is good for your teaching but – more importantly – your spirit.“

Calling all educators! Applications for our professional development program - Dramatic Literacy - are officially open → https://bit.ly/DramaticLiteracy2025

Join us for this five-day workshop devoted to curriculum-building skills, theatre-based practices, partnered activities, field experience, and learning sessions. This year’s Dramatic Literacy workshop will take place August 4 – 8, 2025 and is CPDU-eligible. The application deadline is 5:00pm on Monday, April 7. ...
📸 Ollie Photography

03/14/2025

There are only nine days left! A RAISIN IN THE SUN must close on Sunday, March 23. Experience the show everyone's talking about → https://bit.ly/4kclIhv...
🎬 Cast of A RAISIN IN THE SUN by HMS Media
🎭 Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent
🛠️ Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce
👔 Costume Design by Raquel Adorno
💡 Lighting Design by Maximo Grano de Oro
🎶 Sound Design by Willow James
📚 Production Dramaturgy by Khalid Long
🗣 Vocal and Dialect Design by Sammi Grant
✅ Culture and Consent Consultant, Sheryl Williams
📒 Production Stage Manager, Kate Ocker
📒 Assistant Stage Manager, Jaclynn Joslin
📒 Floor Manager, Ashton Goren

Sixty-six years ago today - on March 11, 1959 - Lorraine Hansberry's A RAISIN IN THE SUN premiered on Broadway at the Et...
03/11/2025

Sixty-six years ago today - on March 11, 1959 - Lorraine Hansberry's A RAISIN IN THE SUN premiered on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

This production was the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway and the first Broadway show to feature a Black director, Lloyd Richards.

The cast included Sidney Poitier (Walter Lee Younger), Claudia McNeil (Lena Younger), Ruby Dee (Ruth Younger), Diana Sands (Beneatha Younger), Glynn Turman (Travis Younger), Ivan Dixon (Joseph Asagai), Louis Gossett, Jr. (George Murchison), John Fiedler (Karl Lindner), Lonne Elder III (Bobo), Ed Hall (Moving Man), and Douglas Turner Ward (Moving Man).

Experience this masterpiece in person; our production of this iconic story runs through Sunday, March 23. ...
📸 Photo of the 1959 production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN - featuring Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Glynn Turman, Sidney Poitier as Walter, and John Fiedler - by Friedman-Abeles, New York
📸 Photo of the 2025 Court Theatre production of A RAISIN IN THE SUN - featuring Brian Keys, Jeremias Darville, Shanésia Davis, and Vincent Teninty - by Michael Brosilow
🎭 Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent
🛠️ Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce
👔 Costume Design by Raquel Adorno
💡 Lighting Design by Maximo Grano de Oro
🎶 Sound Design by Willow James
📚 Production Dramaturgy by Khalid Long
🗣 Vocal and Dialect Design by Sammi Grant
✅ Culture and Consent Consultant, Sheryl Williams
📒 Production Stage Manager, Kate Ocker
📒 Assistant Stage Manager, Jaclynn Joslin
📒 Floor Manager, Ashton Goren

Exciting news! Due to popular demand, we are featuring another ASL interpreted performance of Lorraine Hansberry's maste...
03/10/2025

Exciting news! Due to popular demand, we are featuring another ASL interpreted performance of Lorraine Hansberry's masterpiece, A RAISIN IN THE SUN! Join us this Saturday, March 15 at 2:00pm.

While there is still availability for this performance, tickets are going fast - make sure to get yours before they're gone. If you'd like to use the ASL interpretation, we recommend calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 for the best seating options. ...
📸 Di'Aire Wilson and Brian Keys by Michael Brosilow
🎭 Directed by Gabrielle Randle-Bent
🛠️ Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce
👔 Costume Design by Raquel Adorno
💡 Lighting Design by Maximo Grano de Oro
🎶 Sound Design by Willow James
📚 Production Dramaturgy by Khalid Long
🗣 Vocal and Dialect Design by Sammi Grant
✅ Culture and Consent Consultant, Sheryl Williams
📒 Production Stage Manager, Kate Ocker
📒 Assistant Stage Manager, Jaclynn Joslin
📒 Floor Manager, Ashton Goren

On Saturday, March 8, playwright Athol Fugard passed away at age 92. Throughout his decades-long career and prolific bod...
03/10/2025

On Saturday, March 8, playwright Athol Fugard passed away at age 92. Throughout his decades-long career and prolific body of work, Fugard was a vocal opponent of apartheid and sought to confront the violence inflicted by racial injustice. To quote Fugard himself, “The best sabotage is love."

Some of his best-known works include "MASTER HAROLD"...AND THE BOYS, SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD, and THE ISLAND. The latter two were produced at Court in 2010 and 2022, respectively.

Today, we acknowledge Fugard's immeasurable contribution to the theatrical canon and honor his legacy. Thank you for the sabotage. Thank you for the love. ...
📸 John Kani, Athol Fugard, and Winston Ntshona, courtesy of the Hulton Archive/Getty Images
📸 Kai A. Ealy and Ronald L. Conner in THE ISLAND, photo by Michael Brosilow
📸 Allen Gilmore and Chiké Johnson in SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD, photo by Michael Brosilow

Spend your Spring Break at stages across the city! We're proud to share that we're partnering with Chicago Shakespeare T...
03/07/2025

Spend your Spring Break at stages across the city! We're proud to share that we're partnering with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, and The Understudy to bring free and discounted theatre programming to Chicago teens during the week of CPS Spring Break.

Score maximum aura points and share this with pookie or your opp. These programs hit different.

Translation: Share with any Chicago teen who might be interested, and learn more and register here → https://bit.ly/SpringBreakOnStage

03/05/2025

Take a tour of the Younger family's apartment! Join House Manager and Audience Development Associate Phillip Lewis and Technical Director Luke Lemanski as they explore the set of A RAISIN IN THE SUN.

Designed by Scenic Designer Andrew Boyce and featuring props by Lara Musard and Persephone Lawrence, this set is a treasure trove of meaning, personal touches, and hidden secrets. Welcome home....
🛠 Andrew Boyce
🏠 Lara Musard and Persephone Lawrence

03/04/2025

Welcome to the 2025/26 season, a time of truth and transformation.

Featuring beloved classics, rarely produced gems, and world premieres, this season invites us to look at each other honestly, with all our flaws, contradictions, beauty, and nuance on glorious display. Join us → https://bit.ly/2025_2026Season

Senior Artistic Producer - and Director of A RAISIN IN THE SUN - Gabrielle Randle-Bent was recently featured in UChicago...
03/02/2025

Senior Artistic Producer - and Director of A RAISIN IN THE SUN - Gabrielle Randle-Bent was recently featured in UChicago News!

"The work of a classic theater—our work—isn't to freshen it, but to recognize how powerful this text is because of how close it is....Nearly all our actors are from Chicago. The stories they hold are mythic; they're beautiful. And that's all this play is: the true story of the South Side of Chicago."

Check out the interview - in which she discusses the magic of the South Side and the eternal resonance of RAISIN - at the link in our bio. Happy reading!...
📸 Gabrielle Randle-Bent by Joe Mazza

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5535 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL
60637

Opening Hours

Monday 12pm - 5pm
Tuesday 12pm - 5pm
Wednesday 12pm - 7:30pm
Thursday 12pm - 7:30pm
Friday 12pm - 8pm
Saturday 12pm - 8pm
Sunday 12pm - 7:30pm

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