The 81st Annual Dolphin Show at Northwestern University is Kinky Boots the Musical January 19-27, 2024

 The Dolphin Show

AMERICA’S LARGEST STUDENT PRODUCED MUSICAL PRESENTS…

KINKY BOOTS THE MUSICAL

WINNER OF 6 TONY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL!

With Book by Harvey Fierstein and Music & Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper

Recommended for Ages 10+

We're thrilled to announce that The 81st Annual Dolphin Show is gearing up to bring you an electrifying performance of Kinky Boots the Musical! 

Get ready to be dazzled by this spectacular show filled with fabulous music, incredible designs, sensational choreography, and a heartwarming story that will leave you cheering for more. Our team of over 150 students cannot wait to bring this relevant and powerful narrative to Northwestern’s campus and continue our educational workshops, community outreach efforts, and more. Whether you're a fan of musical theater or just looking for a night of pure entertainment, this is an event you won't want to miss. Save the date and join us for a night of unforgettable entertainment that's sure to knock your boots off!

GET TICKETS NOW

Tickets can be purchased online from Northwestern Box Office or in person at the Norris University Center front desk at 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60201.

How do I access my tickets?

Tickets will be emailed to you after you make a purchase. Please present this PDF either on your screen or printed out when entering the theatre. Make sure to pull up the QR code.

What age is the show recommended for?

Kinky Boots is officially recommended for children ages 10 and older, but children younger than 10 may be suited for the production based on maturity levels and parental involvement. For more information, please visit our parent guide here.

Are there special discounts available for tickets?

Northwestern Students can access $10 tickets to performances by logging in with their Northwestern email. Limit 2 tickets per performance.

Northwestern Faculty can access $20 tickets to performances by logging in with their Northwestern email. Limit 2 tickets per performance.

Children under age 18 can access $10 tickets by applying the code TDSstudent10 at checkout. Limit 2 tickets per order.

Seniors over age 65 can access $20 tickets by applying the code TDSsenior20 at checkout. Limit 2 tickets per order. 

How can I bring a group to see Kinky Boots?

Group tickets are available for purchase for all performances. Orders with 10 or more tickets will receive a 10% discount on the order. If you are interested in group booking, please reach out to sales@nudolphinshow.org for booking assistance. Group tickets can only be paid for via check (made out to “Northwestern University” with the memo line “Dolphin Show - Group Tix”) or in person with a credit card at the Norris Center front desk.

What if purchasing tickets is a financial burden for me, as a Northwestern student?

The 81st Annual Dolphin Show has partnered with The Student Activities Assistance Fund to offer “pay what you can tickets” to financially support students in attending our upcoming production of Kinky Boots The Musical.

Tickets for undergraduate and graduate Northwestern students are $10. If this is a financial burden, please email sales@nudolphinshow.org to access pay what you can tickets, where you will have the option to pay as little as $0.

What is the Dolphin Show?

The Dolphin Show at Northwestern University is a non-profit student theatre organization that annually produces the largest student-produced musical in the country. It celebrates the diverse talents of the Northwestern undergraduate community by providing opportunities to learn and excel in all artistic and administrative fields. Every year, The Dolphin Show presents a professional-caliber production led by over 150 undergraduate students. Learn more about Dolphin’s mission on our About page.

Where did the Dolphin Show get its name?

The Dolphin Show was named after the Dolphin Swim Club, the Northwestern swim team who presented the first annual Dolphin Show in the Northwestern swimming pool as a fundraiser for their team to travel to competitions. Visit our About page for Dolphin Show’s full history. 

Who can get involved with The Dolphin Show?

Northwestern University undergraduate students of all backgrounds, majors, and experience levels are welcome to work on the Dolphin Show. Students can work on the production in many capacities, including on the business team, the artistic team, the production team, in the cast, or in the orchestra. Dolphin Show’s annual productions are open to the public. 

Click here for information, show photos, tickets and more. 

REVIEW: The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show “Romance en Route” Now Playing Through May 7, 2023

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show

“Romance en Route”

April 28 - May 7

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Love is love is love, especially in the romantic city of Paris. We adore this playful, inclusive, romantic comedy musical. The matches, misses, breakups and hook ups are heartfelt and hopeful. The talent pool is deep, from the writing and score, to cast and crew. 

Don't miss this impressive student devised piece. Check out the full digital program HERE. 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

“Romance en Route” follows six romantics on a journey through love, loss, heartbreak, and self-discovery in the City of Lights. By a chance of fate, Eve and Xander sit next to each other on their flight from Chicago to Paris. Meanwhile, their significant others, Lexi and Jenna, are in Paris competing for a high-stakes promotion. Alongside Tristan, a flight attendant with his head in the clouds, and Matthieu, a hotel concierge and part-time cynic, the two couples meet and are forced to confront fears, doubts, and unavoidable conversations. Will they find themselves—and the love they deserve—before they return home?

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

PERFORMANCES

Friday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm

Friday, May 5 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 7 at 2 pm

at Cahn Auditorium!

600 Emerson St., Evanston

Tickets are $10-$30 available HERE. 

COVID GUIDELINES: All patrons are required to wear masks.

MAY 6 @ 2 p.m.

Recommended for ages 6-10

Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is a playful and fun-filled hour that will feature lights, costumes, song and dance. It will be hosted by School of Communication faculty member Ryan T. Nelson, the award-winning music director of Northwestern’s 91st Annual Waa-Mu Show, “Peculiar Inheritance.” Nelson and cast members of this year’s Waa-Mu Show will lead audience members through the process of creating a new musical together. Attendees will experience a behind-the-scenes glimpse of “the greatest college show in America” with special interactive access with the cast, crew and creative team of this year’s Waa-Mu Show. The workshop will feature hands-on demonstrations related to musical instruments, choreography and singing. Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is presented through a partnership between the 92nd Annual Waa Mu Show and Imagine U. All Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain tickets are just $5 and available HERE.

The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show “Romance en Route” April 28 - May 7

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show

“Romance en Route”

April 28 - May 7

“Romance en Route” follows six romantics on a journey through love, loss, heartbreak, and self-discovery in the City of Lights. By a chance of fate, Eve and Xander sit next to each other on their flight from Chicago to Paris. Meanwhile, their significant others, Lexi and Jenna, are in Paris competing for a high-stakes promotion. Alongside Tristan, a flight attendant with his head in the clouds, and Matthieu, a hotel concierge and part-time cynic, the two couples meet and are forced to confront fears, doubts, and unavoidable conversations. Will they find themselves—and the love they deserve—before they return home?

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

PERFORMANCES

Friday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm

Friday, May 5 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 7 at 2 pm

at Cahn Auditorium!

600 Emerson St., Evanston

Tickets are $10-$30 available HERE. 

MAY 6 @ 2 p.m.

Recommended for ages 6-10

Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is a playful and fun-filled hour that will feature lights, costumes, song and dance. It will be hosted by School of Communication faculty member Ryan T. Nelson, the award-winning music director of Northwestern’s 91st Annual Waa-Mu Show, “Peculiar Inheritance.” Nelson and cast members of this year’s Waa-Mu Show will lead audience members through the process of creating a new musical together. Attendees will experience a behind-the-scenes glimpse of “the greatest college show in America” with special interactive access with the cast, crew and creative team of this year’s Waa-Mu Show. The workshop will feature hands-on demonstrations related to musical instruments, choreography and singing. Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is presented through a partnership between the 92nd Annual Waa Mu Show and Imagine U. All Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain tickets are just $5 and available HERE.

REVIEW: The 80th Annual Dolphin Show Presents "Matilda: The Musical" at Northwestern University January 20-28th, 2023

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

Roald Dahl's MATILDA the Musical!

The 80th Annual Dolphin Show

Northwestern University 

Cahn Auditorium

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've been fans of Northwestern University's excellent productions forever, and this year we were beyond excited to catch opening night of Matilda: The Musical with family and friends.

My kids grew up loving first the book, then the movie, and finally the musical adaptation on stage. It's a favorite of ours and this production is excellent in every way. 

We were wowed by this aerial arts, stage magic, and dance filled production of Matilda. With a full orchestra and the best and brightest on stage talent, this show is a must-see. Creative casting with a black Matilda and her father, and a nonbinary Miss Honey, makes this fabulous triumph over bullies even more poignant and powerful. We love that Miss Honey uses "they/them" pronouns. Props to the props department and set design for a delightfully imaginative playground for this storytelling. 

Yep you read that right… 80th!!! The dolphin show was happening back when my dad graduated from Northwestern in 1960. (Check out the vintage show posters downstairs)

Northwestern University's theatre talent pool is deep, on stage and behind the scenes. The past two years my son, a senior at Northwestern studying Theatre Arts, has been a props designer for The Dolphin Show, and this year Dugan is head of the props department. 

Come on out for this fantastic family friendly production. It's a short run, so don't miss this! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Based on Roald Dahl’s timeless novel, this story of an extraordinary girl who uses her brilliant mind and imagination to change her destiny comes to life on the stage. Catch this production on Northwestern’s campus January 20-28, 2023. Click Here For Tickets. 

Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, MATILDA is a joyous celebration of youth on stage!

Purchase tickets online at www.nudolphinshow.org or in person at the Norris University Center Front Desk. 

Cahn Auditorium is the largest performance venue owned and operated by Northwestern University. Located on Northwestern's Evanston campus, Cahn hosts university productions, and is also available for rental.

The 80th Annual Dolphin Show Presents "Matilda: The Musical" at Northwestern University Cahn Auditorium

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

Roald Dahl's MATILDA the Musical!

The 80th Annual Dolphin Show

Northwestern University 

Cahn Auditorium

ChiIL Mama's long been a fan of Northwestern University's excellent productions and this year we're very excited to see Matilda: The Musical. Their talent pool is deep, on stage and behind the scenes. The past two years my son, a senior at Northwestern studying Theatre Arts, has been props designer for The Dolphin Show, and this year Dugan is head of the props department. Come on out for this family friendly production. It's a short run, but sure to be fantastic. Don't miss this!

Based on Roald Dahl’s timeless novel, this story of an extraordinary girl who uses her brilliant mind and imagination to change her destiny comes to life on the stage. Catch this production on Northwestern’s campus January 20-28, 2023. Click Here For Tickets. 

Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, MATILDA is a joyous celebration of youth on stage!

Purchase tickets online at www.nudolphinshow.org or in person at the Norris University Center Front Desk. 

Cahn Auditorium is the largest performance venue owned and operated by Northwestern University. Located on Northwestern's Evanston campus, Cahn hosts university productions, and is also available for rental

REVIEW: DEAR EVAN HANSEN Now Playing Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre Through December 31, 2022

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

NOW PLAYING

DEAR EVAN HANSEN 

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S

JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE

NOW ONLY THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2022

Anthony Norman, John Hemphill, Lili Thomas and Alaina Anderson

All Production Photos by Matthew Murphy

Recommended for ages 12+; This production contains some adult themes, including discussions of suicide. Children under the age of four will not be permitted in the theatre.

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

I've wanted to see the multi award winning hit, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, since it launched in 2016, so I was beyond thrilled to finally have the chance to review the Broadway tour at Broadway in Chicago's Nederlander Theatre last Friday. My son, Dugan, who will graduate from Northwestern University's theatre arts program this spring, accompanied me, so it was even more of an excellent evening. Jared Kleinman is played by Pablo David Laucerica, an NU theatre alum who went to school with my son, and we ran into other current NU theatre students in the audience, so that was fun.

Pablo is PUMPED to be joining the DEH fam! A Miami-born Cuban-American, he recently graduated from Northwestern University, specializing in vocal performance and musical theatre. His main artistic interests include acting, songwriting, music production and content creation. Find his music content on TikTok/Instagram @pablodlaucerica! 

The acting, score, production values, and set are just stellar. It's a joy to see Broadway musicals move beyond their big song and dance roots to delve into intense, contemporary, difficult subject matter like teen suicide, social media, truth, lies, and integrity with such energy and style. The character archetypes are entirely recognizable. It was wonderful to see so many relatable people have their moment in the spotlight. 

Families with plenty of money and a stay at home mom might not have lives as picture perfect as things appear. Single moms working full time and taking classes toward a better life are likely not failing at parenting by not being around 24/7. Mourning someone is complicated and multilayered. 

Anthony Norman and Coleen Sexton

It's a compelling mix when worlds collide between the overworked single mom, son with social anxiety and an absent dad, and a rich family who appears to have everything, but have their own deep struggles with a bully father, alienated addict son, and a daughter lost in the shadows of her brothers issues and subsequent suicide.

Anthony Norman and Alaina Anderson

Are accidental little white lies justifiable? Are social media's pressures, perils, and pitfalls worth the interconnection or does the medium amplify alienation, mistakes, and misinformation until things snowball out of control.

Theatre is a strange beast--a creative melting pot that combines writing, acting, musicians, set designers, and so many creatives, each doing their part in the service of story telling. When it all comes together as it does in DEAR EVAN HANSEN, it's nothing short of astonishing. In fact, the Evan Hansen character was so well written and embodied by Anthony Norman that it gave some patrons second hand anxiety, just watching his struggles. That's powerful, alchemy to elicit such a strong reaction. It was explained to me as feeling like seeing someone else as the victim of a practice joke and internalizing and sharing their mortification. Maybe the show should come with a trigger warning for both anxiety and suicide. Still, temporary discomfort is a small price to pay for seeing such a vital work, that hits our collective sore spots of anxiety and alienation, loneliness, loss, aimlessness, irrelevance and fears.

Anthony Norman

Live theatre audiences are so in tune that peoples' heartbeats have literally been scientifically proven to sink up while they're watching a show. And the audience influences and changes the energy and action on the stage as surely as productions affect patrons. It's the mark of an excellent show if the bond continues after the curtain call with discussions and insights. My son and I had a great discussion on the drive back to Northwestern, and his friends who took the  "L" said their train car was also full of lively conversations sparked by the show. 

This is the type of work that leaves a lasting effect on audiences. DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a thought provoking, discussion inducing, must see! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. ChiILLiveShows.com & ChiILMama.com 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

“THEATRICAL MAGIC. ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE SHOWS

IN MUSICAL THEATER HISTORY.”

-The Washington Post

DEAR EVAN HANSEN is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.). The production is running for a limited engagement through December 31, 2022. Tickets are on sale now at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere, including The Washington Post who says DEAR EVAN HANSEN is “Theatrical magic. One of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history.” The New York Times calls it “a breathtaking knockout of a musical.” And NBC Nightly News declares the musical “an inspiring anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.”

DEAR EVAN HANSEN features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson (Fosse/Verdon), a score by Grammy®, Tony® and Academy Award®-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award-nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal).

DEAR EVAN HANSEN opened at the Music Box Theatre to rave reviews on December 4, 2016, where it has broken all box office records and struck a chord with critics and audiences alike. It went on to win six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Production, two Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and two Helen Hayes Awards. The show launched its First North American Tour at the Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado in October 2018 and has since performed in more than 40 cities across North America playing for more than 1.5 million audience members. The West End Production of DEAR EVAN HANSEN opened at the Noël Coward Theatre in November 2019 and recently won the 2020 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, along with two other Olivier Awards. The show’s now-iconic blue polo and arm cast are part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of DEAR EVAN HANSEN, produced by Atlantic Records, was released in February 2017, making an extraordinary debut on the Billboard 200 and entering the chart at #8 – the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961 – and went on to win the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN, produced by Stacey Mindich, features scenic design by David Korins, projection design by Peter Nigrini, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, and hair design by David Brian Brown.  Music supervision, orchestrations, and additional arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire.  Ben Cohn is the associate music supervisor.  Vocal arrangements and additional arrangements are by Justin Paul. Danny Mefford is the choreographer. Casting by Tara Rubin Casting/Xavier Rubiano. Sash Bischoff, Adam Quinn, and Danny Sharron are the associate directors. Judith Schoenfeld is the production supervisor. US General Management is 101 Productions, Ltd.

For more information, please visit DearEvanHansen.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. (with a Wednesday matinee at 2:00 p.m. on December 21 and December 28), Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (with no 8:00 p.m. performance on December 24), and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (with no performance on December 25). There will be additional 2:00 p.m. shows on Friday, December 23 and Friday, December 30.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for DEAR EVAN HANSEN are now on sale to the public and range from $39.00 - $120.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 22 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

COVID-19  PROTOCOL

We recommend our audiences wear masks throughout the theatre. Visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/covid19 for further details.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com. 

Get Social:

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Northwestern's Imagine U forms theater partnership with Evanston/Skokie District 65

Fall's Gonna Be LITTT for 

Evanston and Skokie Elementary Schoolers 

All Photos of past Imagine U Productions Courtesy of Northwestern University

Northwestern University is launching a unique community-based theater arts partnership with Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Imagine U, the nationally recognized producer of theater for young audiences at The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts. The partnership, Learn and Imagine Together Through Theater (LITTT), begins in the 2022-2023 academic year.

Community partnership can serve as a 'catalyst for advancing racial equity'

LITTT is a co-created community partnership developed by Northwestern and District 65, which is coordinated through the Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations. It is the University’s newest social impact partnership. Dave Davis, executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations, said the program is designed to make live theater more accessible to hundreds of young people. 

Effort designed to make theater more accessible to young people

“The creative power of the arts crosses all cultural barriers, reminding us of our shared human heritage,” Davis said. “Co-created community partnerships such as LITTT can serve as a catalyst for advancing racial equity by exposing young people to artists who look like them and providing them an opportunity to see themselves in a way they never imagined.”

Lynn Kelso, founder of Imagine U and assistant professor of instruction in Northwestern’s theatre department, agrees that theater can be a powerful experience for young audiences. Kelso said Northwestern students will also benefit from the LITTT partnership.

“The partnership provides our students with the opportunity to step into the role of teaching artists while being mentored by outstanding District 65 teachers,” said Kelso. As the partnership develops, “it also presents an incredible opportunity to conduct groundbreaking research on the impact of the arts.”

 Nearly 800 students will be impacted when program launches in the fall

How LITTT works

In the fall of 2022, The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts will create weekday matinee performances of an Imagine U production just for District 65 students. Third-grade students, approximately 800 students from across the district, will take a field trip to Northwestern’s Evanston campus to see the Imagine U performance. For many students, this will be their first time experiencing live theater—and possibly their first exposure to a college campus. While on campus, students will meet the cast and production team and have lunch.

The Wirtz Center is creating four Imagine U matinee performances that District 65 students will see over two Fridays. This would recur annually so all District 65 students would get to visit Northwestern and experience an Imagine U production once during their elementary school experience, creating enhanced learning opportunities and access to live theater.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to have a shared experience viewing an Imagine U show,” said Dr. Stacy Beardsley, executive director of curriculum and instruction with Evanston/Skokie School District 65. “The shared experience allows for students to not only experience powerful stories together, but it also allows our students to learn about the story and the work that goes into a theater performance at a deeper level.”

 Making theater more accessible, allows young people to 'walk in the shoes of others'

Connecting theater curriculums

Prior to coming to campus, District 65 students participate in a classroom activity that is designed to introduce the production and engage students with complex themes they’ll witness in the play. Students will also watch a virtual backstage tour of the Wirtz Center to see how elements of the production were created. 

The learning continues after the play when the students return to the District 65 drama classroom. District 65 drama educators will lead students in one or two lesson plans, which revolve around the production to deepen their experience of seeing live theater. These drama lessons will help immerse students in the world of the play through dramatic skills such as pantomime, story dramatization, in-role encounters, scene work, storytelling, guided imagery, and other embodied creative activities. 

Betsy Quinn, drama department chair for District 65, said the live theater experience allows students in the district to connect with diverse characters and settings.

“This unique partnership with Imagine U brings District 65 students and teachers together as a community to experience powerful storytelling and artistry live and up close,” said Quinn. “Attending theater productions and engaging in drama classes develops empathy in young children by allowing them to walk in the shoes of others and see the world through their eyes.”

Lesson plans are collaboratively developed by District 65 drama educators, Northwestern faculty, and Northwestern undergraduate students. Northwestern students who are studying theater for young audiences will create a draft lesson plan focused on the Imagine U production. Draft lesson plans are workshopped by a Northwestern faculty advisor and a small group of District 65 drama educators. Lesson plans occur during District 65 students’ regularly scheduled drama class, roughly one to two weeks after students see the LITTT show.

“I’ve long been interested in narrowing the distance between ivory tower and front porch, and engaging Evanston’s children in our theatre for young audiences programming is a critical part of this effort,” said E. Patrick Johnson, dean of the School of Communication. “Not only will LITTT help us better connect with and relate to our neighbors, we’re helping to build a more compassionate, joyful and curious generation through exposure to the arts.”

The curriculum collaboration component of LITTT was piloted in Fall 2021 with the Imagine U production “Last Stop on Market Street.” Forty-five fourth-grade classrooms in District 65 viewed a recording of the production, which was streamed to their classrooms. D65 drama educators then led a 40-minute drama lesson which was collaboratively developed by Northwestern faculty and students.

About Imagine U

For more than a decade, The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts  at Northwestern has presented Imagine U’s popular performance series. Created especially for families with young children, the productions are often adapted from or inspired by children’s literature and include sensory-friendly performances, post-show workshops with teaching artists and the cast, and a program with themed activities to take home. In 2021, the National Theatre of Washington D.C. commissioned Imagine U to create another season of their “Life Now” series for its "Saturday Morning Live" programming.  

About the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts

The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts annually mounts more than 40 productions in theater, music theatre, and dance. Undergraduate actors, managers and playwrights, alongside graduate actors, designers, directors and dramaturgs, collaborate on works both classic and contemporary for audiences of all ages. The Center adheres to and reflects the academic mission of the University, the curricular needs of the theatre and performance studies departments and the educational priorities of communication students. It exists in service to the campus and the greater community of the Metropolitan Chicago area.

Northwestern University's MFA Collaboration Series 21/22 presents: PEERLESS February 18–20, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

MFA Collaboration Series 21/22 presents:

MFA Collaboration #2: 

PEERLESS

By Jiehae Park. Directed by Ji Won Jeon

The estimated running time for this production is 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission. 

This production is part of the MFA Lab series, matching Northwestern's emerging MFA directors and designers for exciting and unexpected collaborations with contemporary theatre.

A modern twist on Macbeth, peerless follows M & L, twins who are determined to gain admission to The College. When they discover someone else has been awarded “their” spot, the twins decide to resort to alternative methods to get what they want and let nothing stand in their way. This shocking play provides a wildly satirical look at academia, teenagers, and race and confronts the cut-throat world of college admissions as well as the extremes to which people will go to succeed.

ALL ATTENDEES INCLUDING KIDS UNDER 12 will be required to show proof of full vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test within 48 hours of the start of the event.

By Jiehae Park

Directed by Ji Won Jeon

February 18–20, 2022

Fri., 2/18 @ 7:30 p.m.

Sat., 2/19 @ 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sun., 2/20 @ 2 p.m.

Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts

Hal & Martha Hyer Wallis Theater

1949 Campus Drive

Located on the southeast part of the Evanston campus just off Sheridan Road on Campus Drive. The Wallis studio theatre space is on the west side of the Wirtz Center/Theater building facing west.

Tickets

Ticket Pricing

General Public $15

Senior Citizens (62+) $15

NU Faculty, Staff and Emeriti $15

Full-Time non-NU Students (under 35 and children) $12

Full-Time NU Students $6 in advance, $10 at the door

A per ticket service charge will be added to all online ($3 per ticket), phone ($2 per ticket), and mail purchases ($3 per ticket). A $5 charge per each Wirtz Center FLEXPASS order.