February is packed with big-name shows, like the Helen Hunt–fronted
Betrayal at the Goodman and the ensemble-driven
Fool for Love at Steppenwolf, starring Broadway vets Cliff Chamberlain and Caroline Neff.
You’re subscribed! Please check your inbox for your confirmation. Sorry, there was an error registering your email. Storefronts are taking big swings too with gutsy new works. In February, the video game–inspired
Kitty James and Destiny’s Trail to Oregon opens at The Factory Theater, and A Red Orchid Theater stages new thriller
The Cave . On the heels of the sold-out run of
Uncle Vanya on a North Side factory floor, director Spencer Huffman workshops
Racecar Racecar Racecar , Kallan Dana’s heady drama about a father-daughter nightmarish road trip. And if you’re looking for a family night out, Marriott Theatre is staging the musical version of
The Magic Schoolbus, with Abby C. Smith playing the iconic Ms. Frizzle. Here’s a thought: If you’re looking for something better than chocolate for Valentine’s Day, a date night at a theater is a smart way to go. For the romance-avoidant, this list works too. Whatever your need, here’s our list of 10 must-see shows this February. This two-hander set in 1973 pairs glasses of wine with the reminiscence of lifelong dreams. Starring Aja Alcazar (
The Penelopiad ) and Seoyoung Park (
The Long Christmas Dinner ) as recent immigrant women with workaholic husbands, this hearty play paints a portrait of people forging a new life in the land of dreams. Shattered Globe’s
Lobby Hero balances dark humor with themes of injustice, sexual misconduct and the burden of morality.
I was in the audience on opening night, and once again, I was impressed by a Shattered Globe production. This show balances dark humor with heavy themes of injustice, sexual misconduct and the looming burden of morality in the toughest of circumstances. The story follows a night-shift security guard, played by up-and-coming actor Elliot Esquivel (
Alice by Heart ), caught between keeping a secret for his supervisor and revealing the info to a rookie cop, who could use it to get herself out of a tight bind. Complicated characters and moral dilemmas mix with offbeat comedy in a show that explores the challenges of doing the right thing. Written by Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry,
A Raisin in the Sun stars local actor Brian Keys (center right) as patriarch Walter Lee Younger.
This classic, penned by Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry, takes place on the South Side. It follows the Younger family after they receive an insurance check that has the potential to change their financial fortunes. This play has been staged and remounted throughout the American canon, from Broadway to the big screen, with award-winning actors such as Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington playing antihero Walter Lee Younger. In this production, local actor Brian Keys (
Power Book IV: Force on STARZ) takes on the patriarch’s role.
If you go: 5535 S. Ellis Ave.,
tickets from $23.50 Steppenwolf’s
Fool for Love stars Broadway veterans Cliff Chamberlain and Caroline Neff.
This drama, written by Sam Shepard, unfolds in the steamy Mojave desert. Starring ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain (
Superior Doughnuts in Chicago and on Broadway) and Caroline Neff (
Linda Vista in Chicago and on Broadway), the show sets lovers embroiled in conflict in a sweltering motel room in the desert. Past trauma, family drama and a plot twist all come together in this pressure-cooker of a play that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
In its follow-up to the Michael Shannon–led apocalyptic drama
Turret , A Red Orchid Theatre returns with a thriller written by ensemble member Sadieh Rifai (
The Humans ). As turmoil builds in the days leading up to the Gulf War, a tragedy forces a Palestinian American family to move from Las Vegas to Ohio. With their lives upended, it’s a matter of time before the terror outside seeps into the home and the lives of this family. The acrobatic show
Circus Quixote runs through March 30 at Lookingglass Theatre.
There is a lot of fanfare surrounding
this show, which marks a rebirth for the beloved company that shuttered in 2023. At a recent celebration touting Lookingglass’ big return to stage and a renovated lobby, both Gov. JB Pritzker and co-founder and board member David Schwimmer (
Friends ) heralded the theater’s comeback as a sign that performing arts can persist with support. Blending acrobatics and circus arts with theater,
Circus Quixote is full of the unforgettable elements that put Lookingglass on the map in the first place for physical storytelling. The new production of
Betrayal at Goodman Theatre stars (from left to right) Helen Hunt, Robert Sean Leonard and Ian Barford.
First, a caveat: This is a workshop production, so a modest version of the full play that opened off-Broadway in December 2024. It’s helmed by Bramble ensemble member Spencer Huffman, who recently directed a sold-out run of
Uncle Vanya in a North Side titanium factory.
Racecar , written by Kallan Dana, is an unsettling drama about an unnamed father and daughter playing a game with palindromes on a road trip, described as a “brightly surreal, loopily comic play” by
The New York Times .
What do you get when you cross Indiana Jones with the Oregon Trail? A fun night in the theater with Kitty James, the coffee queen of Missouri. This show, written by Factory ensemble member Phil Claudnic, is a mash-up of classic adventure movies and video games. It follows Kitty’s journey west in search of a medallion and an ancient prophecy. It’s always fun to check out new works, and Factory Theatre takes a swing on this nostalgic adventure reminiscent of historical games and cult-classic films from yesteryear.
The Magic School Bus was a big hit on PBS in the 1990s. and the books remain a staple on elementary school shelves. Now, Ms. Frizzle and her famous science class are taking a field trip to Marriott Theatre. In this musical, the class gets lost on the way to a planetarium, while Ms. Frizzle blasts the bus into outer space for an intergalactic adventure. Abby C. Smith, who played Ms. Puff in
The Spongebob Musical on Broadway, will take on the iconic role of the eccentric science teacher.
If you go: 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire,
tickets from $16.75
