The Gift Theatre

CYGNUS by Susan Soon He Stanton
2025-02-28 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-02 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-03-06 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-07 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-08 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-03-09 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-03-13 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) and 3 more dates | Filament Theater, 4041 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, 60641
CYGNUS -World Premiere Production
Written by Susan Soon He Stanton Multi Award Winner, Writer, and Producer of HBO’s Succession
Directed by Co-Artistic Director, Brittany Burch

Cydney believes an angel rescued her from an ineffable trauma, and the truth may prove stranger than she imagines. In this mythic, hilarious, and poetic new play, a burnt feather may illuminate the possibility of a divine intervention.

February 6 – March 16, 2025
Performing at the Filament Theatre
4041 N. Milwaukee Ave

Preview Performances: February 6-February 15th. Thursday-Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 3pm.
Opening Night Performance February 16th at 6pm

CYGNUS runs 1 hour and 45 mins with no intermission
Please note there will be NO LATE SEATING for this production
Click here for tickets
Featuring
Angela Morris, Jeff Rodriguez, and Rengin Altay

In the Works- Hayward by Netta Walker
2025-07-28 19:30 - 21:30 | The Understudy, 5531 N. Clark, Chicago, IL, 60640
Next up in our In The Works series:
HAYWARD by Netta Walker — a bold, personal, and haunting new reimagining of Elektra and Hamlet.
Monday, July 28th at 7:30pm
The ⁠Understudy Coffee and Books
5531 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
⁠
“On the day of her father’s funeral, Luna confesses to her siblings she has seen her father’s ghost.”
A semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwriting Conference and soon to be published by 1319 Press, Hayward is a searing exploration of grief, family, and the echoes that refuse to fade.
⁠
In The Works is our ongoing staged reading series focused on plays in development by local playwrights at all stages of their careers. Join us to witness the process—and the power—of new work in progress.
This exciting presentation is a collaboration with The Understudy Coffee and Books and 1319 Press,
Directed by AmBer Montgomery,
Stage Managed by Sarah Luse, and featuring:
Ireon Roach
Gregory Fenner
Sydney Charles
Victor Musoni
Shanésia Davis
Robert Cornelius
Alfred Wilson
Tia Pinson
This reading is now SOLD OUT. We suggest arriving to The Understudy at 7pm on the day of the reading to join the waitlist. Thank you!

GiftLit: Back to School
2025-09-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Chief O’Neill’s, 3471 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618
Back to School with GiftLIT!
Join us on Wednesday, September 10th at 7:00pm on the patio at Chief O’Neill’s (3471 N Elston) for an evening of stories, community, and connection.
Come celebrate the return of Fall and GiftLIT—for an evening of stories that connect and inspire.
Tickets are $15 click here to buy tickets!

Ghost Lit: An Evening of Scary Storytelling
2025-10-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Join us for one of our new favorite traditions — GhostLIT, our Halloween-themed edition of the GiftLIT storytelling series.
Wednesday, October 29th from 7:30–9:30pm (doors at 7pm) in the Fifth Province Bar at The Irish American Heritage Center. We’ll have reserved tables on the ground level, a cozy atmosphere, and plenty of food and drinks available for purchase from the bar.
We’re curating a spooky lineup of storytellers and musicians with songs, stories, and poems ranging from funny to chilling, heartfelt to haunting!
Tickets are $20 online or at the door but we recommend getting them ahead of time because space is limited!
Click here for tickets!

In the Works- A Little Ghost Story
2025-11-10 19:30 - 21:30
The Gift Theatre presents
In The Works: A Little Ghost Story
by Jennifer Rumberger
Directed by John Gawlik
Stage Managed by Sarah Luse
Join us for the next installment of In The Works, our staged reading series devoted to new plays in development by local playwrights.

“Lettie returns to her childhood home in Florida for Christmas, taking a break from her struggling acting career in New York. She finds the house empty and mid-renovation, her father on edge and haunted by strange occurrences in the space where her sister, Mara, died of an opioid overdose a year earlier. As the holidays approach, the family grapples with how to move forward in a home that, even stripped to its bones, refuses to let go of the past.”

Monday, November 10 at 7:30 PM
The Gateway Lounge at the Copernicus Center
5216 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
Doors open at 7 PM — come early to grab a drink at the bar and find a good seat.
Featuring:
Jack – Jack Bronis
Lettie – Angela Morris
Claire – Alexis Atwill
Mara – Hannah Toriumi-Fragman
Shandee – Allison Cain
Stage Directions – Pat Weber
Click below to RSVP your ticket!

25th Anniversary Homecoming Gala
2026-02-20 18:00 - 22:00 | Copernicus Center- Gateway Lounge, 5216 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Join us for a night of great food, live music, fun games, and dancing as we gather to honor the past 25 years and raise critical support for what comes next.
Tickets include dinner featuring beloved Jefferson Park favorites A Taste of the Philippines and Delightful Pastries, a beer and wine bar, and a special sneak peek at the Gift Theatre’s 2026 season.
This year’s Gala will honor our longtime Board Chair, Laura Gale, with the Total Gift Award, in recognition of her extraordinary leadership, generosity, and enduring commitment to the Gift.
The Gala is Friday, February 20th, 2026 at 6pm at The Copernicus Center- Gateway Lounge. Tickets are available by clicking below.

TEN 25th
2026-03-25 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-26 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-27 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-28 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-03-29 15:00 - 17:00 | a Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells, Chicago, IL, 60610
Check out this year’s lineup for TEN 25th, our annual 10 minute new works festival.
LANDING
By Kimberly Dixon-Mays
Directed by ensemble member Shanesia Davis
Featuring Rita Wicks and ensemble member/ Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Glasse
HAMLET MY NEPHEW
By Emilio Williams
Directed by Peter Andersen
Featuring Stephen Spencer
HOMER
By Stephanie Alison Walker
Directed by ensemble member Erica Weiss
Featuring Christopher Acevedo, Huy Nguyen, and ensemble member Patrick Weber
AND THERE WAS MORNING
Written and Directed by ensemble member Jennifer Rumberger
Featuring Rita Wicks and ensemble member/ Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Glasse
BOZOS
By ensemble member Gregory Fenner
Directed by Rob Wilson
Featuring Stephen Spencer and ensemble members Cyd Blakewell, Kenny Mihlfried, Paul D’Addario, and John Gawlik
Improv by Dr.Coke
THE SKULL OF SAINT JEAN DE BREBEUF BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINT LOUIS
By Brett Neveu
Directed by ensemble member/Co-Artistic Director Brittany Burch
Featuring Krystal Ortiz and ensemble members Patrick Weber and Paul D’Addario
WHO WILL CRY
Written and Directed by Jermaine Jenkins
Featuring Gardy Gilbert
FORTY DAYS
By Dolores Diaz
Directed by Ben Locke
Featuring Rita Wicks, Alexis Atwill, Kyrstal Ortiz, Olivia Fergus-Brummer, and ensemble member Cyd Blakewell
MONT VENTOUX
Written and Directed by ensemble member John Gawlik
Choreography by Shanae Sterba
Featuring ensemble members John Gawlik, Kenny Mihlfried, and Patrick Weber
Performing at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells St., Chicago
March 25 – April 4, 2026

TEN 25th
2026-04-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-02 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-03 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-04 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-04 19:30 - 21:30 | a Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N. Wells, Chicago, IL, 60610
Check out this year’s lineup for TEN 25th, our annual 10 minute new works festival.
LANDING
By Kimberly Dixon-Mays
Directed by ensemble member Shanesia Davis
Featuring Rita Wicks and ensemble member/ Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Glasse
HAMLET MY NEPHEW
By Emilio Williams
Directed by Peter Andersen
Featuring Stephen Spencer
HOMER
By Stephanie Alison Walker
Directed by ensemble member Erica Weiss
Featuring Christopher Acevedo, Huy Nguyen, and ensemble member Patrick Weber
AND THERE WAS MORNING
Written and Directed by ensemble member Jennifer Rumberger
Featuring Alexis Atwill and ensemble member/ Co-Artistic Director Jennifer Glasse
BOZOS
By ensemble member Gregory Fenner
Directed by Rob Wilson
Featuring Stephen Spencer and ensemble members Cyd Blakewell, Kenny Mihlfried, Paul D’Addario, and John Gawlik
Improv by Dr.Coke
THE SKULL OF SAINT JEAN DE BREBEUF BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE CATHEDRAL BASILICA OF SAINT LOUIS
By Brett Neveu
Directed by ensemble member/Co-Artistic Director Brittany Burch
Featuring Krystal Ortiz and ensemble members Patrick Weber and Paul D’Addario
WHO WILL CRY
Written and Directed by Jermaine Jenkins
Featuring Gardy Gilbert
FORTY DAYS
By Dolores Diaz
Directed by Ben Locke
Featuring Rita Wicks, Alexis Atwill, Kyrstal Ortiz, Olivia Fergus-Brummer, and ensemble member Cyd Blakewell
MONT VENTOUX
Written and Directed by ensemble member John Gawlik
Choreography by Shanae Sterba
Featuring Olivia Fergus-Brummer and ensemble members John Gawlik, Kenny Mihlfried, and Patrick Weber
Performing at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells St., Chicago
March 25 – April 4, 2026

Mother's Day giftLit
2026-05-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Join us for our first annual Mother’s Day edition of giftLit –an evening of storytelling and song in celebration and appreciation of motherhood and its many complexities.
Songs & Stories Peformed by:
Maggie Andersen, Sam Bailey, Cyd Blakewell, Sandra Delgado , Olivia Fergus-Brummer ,
Veronica Flores , Skyler Schrempp , and Erica Stern

Wednesday, May 6th at 7:00p.m. in the Fifth Province Bar at The Irish American Heritage Center.
Doors open at 6:00pm. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from the bar.

Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door, but we recommend getting them ahead of time because space is limited!
Click below to purchase tickets!

2026 Homecoming Season Subscriptions
2026-08-01
The Gift Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Homecoming Season
-2026 Subscription Packages-
In 2026, The Gift Theatre celebrates 25 years of intimate, ensemble-driven work by coming home—to our artists, our audiences, and the neighborhoods that shaped us.
Our Homecoming Season honors the legacy of The Gift while looking boldly ahead, featuring new work, beloved collaborators, and a one-night-only anniversary celebration.
The 2026 Homecoming Season Includes:
TEN25th – The Gift’s Ten-Minute Play Festival of New Work
March 25 – April 4 | A Red Orchid Theatre
MARBLE — Chicago Premiere by Marina Carr
August 2 – August 30 | Copernicus Center – Kings Hall
HAYWARD – World Premiere by ensemble member Netta Walker
October 14 – November 22 | Presented at Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theater
25th Anniversary Benefête Performance
December 7th | Copernicus Center — Gateway Theatre |
THE HOMECOMING SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE
(Does not include Benefête Performance)
Includes:

MARBLE
HAYWARD

Single-ticket value: $100
Regular Subscriber Price: $85
You save 15%
THE HOMECOMING PLUS+ SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE
Includes Two Mainstage Productions and Benefete Performance

MARBLE
HAYWARD
25th Anniversary Benefête Performance

Single-ticket value: $180
Regular Subscriber Price: $150
You save 15%
All packages include:

Priority seating
Free ticket exchanges
Guaranteed access to limited-run productions

Click the link below to purchase your subscription today.!

For questions please email boxoffice@thegifttheatre.org or call 773-283-7071
See you at the theatre!
