Category: Uncategorized

This month’s reading is . . . MINOTAUR by Caridad Svich

“The last recording of the ghost story of empire. A fever dream. An encounter with a beast in exile, fallen and re-fallen from ‘grace.’ Or simply, a day in politics.

MINOTAUR stages the final interview of a former revolutionary turned relic – part political icon, part beast – sustained by the wreckage of their own mythmaking. What does it mean to kill a legend? Who gets to tell the story of empire’s end? How do bodies persist when history forgets them – and how does power survive inside the machines we leave running? Blending myth and political critique, MINOTAUR asks what remains after the spectacle dies.

This play is amplified. This is event theatre.”

This play is recommended for ages 18+.

More details on HERE. April 29th only.

From Broadway World on April 14th:

The Workshop Theater will present a special one-night only reading of Words Matter with plays inspired by the words “Telling Generations of Stories” by Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Mariana Carreño King, Phanésia Pharel, and Caridad Svich which will be presented May 4, 2026 at the Intrepid Museum for the benefit of the Veteran’s Spouse Project.

Words Matter is a unique annual initiative where The Workshop Theater partners with a non-profit organization doing critical work in the community. This year, The Workshop is proud to partner with the Veteran’s Spouse Project, who are dedicated to sharing the stories of generations of military spouses, uniting the military and civilian communities through connection and creativity. Four groundbreaking playwrights are commissioned to create new plays inspired by conversations with military spouses which are then cast and produced for an evening celebrating the work of Veteran’s Spouse Project. 

---

You can read the full article and access a ticket link HERE.

A snippet from the April 23rd review from the Chicago Reader:

Svich’s script brims with gorgeous poetic interpolations alongside snippets of Shakespeare’s text as Ophelia goes through fresh iterations of her time with Hamlet/Rude Boy. Early on, she tells us, “I went into water. I scooped up the living. And made promises to the dead. I left everyone unblessed. I jangled a laugh and a song of sorrow, a tall, lonesome song you could hear through the wildflowers.” 

Read the full review HERE.

12 Ophelias
Through 5/24: Fri–Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 3 PM; Factory Theater, 1623 W Howard, strawdog.org, sliding scale $10-$80

From Chicago’s Broadway World website on April 18th:

---

With every breath, every line, every broken song, 12 Ophelias is a riveting play executed with heart, humor, and depth that leaves you thinking about fate, purpose, the memories we hold, the paths carved out for us, and our power to change our story. 

The final production of Strawdog’s 38th season runs from April 17 – May 24, 2026. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Chicago, IL 60626. Tickets are sliding scale between $10-$80 and can be purchased at the link below.

---

Read the full review HERE.

The April 10th issue of New City featured a quote from a recent Substack post about the theatrical edifice complex, with a shout-out for the upcoming Strawdogs production of 12 Ophelias. You can find the full culture listing HERE.

And the excerpt:

---

Playwright Caridad Svich On The Theatrical Edifice Complex

“Why are so many building based theaters still telling ppl that the only way to experience a play is to travel via air, car or train to see it?” asks playwright Caridad Svich. “Televised/broadcast and streaming drama… available to a general, wide audience has all but disappeared.” Harking back to the history of British and American broadcast series of yore, Svich asks, “Why is theater insistent on privileging an in-person audience as the only ‘real’ audience? Why is theater not building on its broadcast legacy using the tools it has had since the mid-1950s to beam new work into people’s homes and laptops?” Strawdog Theatre’s production of Svich’s “12 Ophelias” opens April 17.

Each year, The Workshop Theater commissions four writers to create short plays inspired by prompts related to a non-profit organization. We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s playwrights for Words Matter:

Monet Hurst-Mendoza
Mariana Carreño King
Phanésia Pharel
Caridad Svich

This year, we’ve partnered with Veteran’s Spouse Project. Each playwright was paired with a veteran spouse from VSP and created a new play based on those conversations. The four new plays are cast and produced for an evening celebrating the work of that non-profit, with contributions directly benefiting Veteran’s Spouse Project.

We hope you’ll join us on The Intrepid on May 4, 2026 to celebrate the artistic collaboration of Veteran’s Spouse Project and The Workshop Theater.

Tickets and more details HERE.

Words Matter is a unique annual initiative where The Workshop Theater partners with a non-profit organization doing critical work in the community. We commission four groundbreaking playwrights to create new plays inspired by that organization’s mission. The writers learn about the nonprofit’s work – its people, challenges, and triumphs. They then craft stories illuminating and amplifying the heart of that mission. The plays are cast and produced for an evening celebrating the work of that non-profit.

Previous collaborations benefited the work of New Sanctuary Coalition, Invisible Hands, Judges & Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert, and Rehabilitation Through the Arts. This year, we are proud to partner with the Veteran’s Spouse Project, who are dedicated to sharing the stories of generations of military spouses, uniting the military and civilian communities in friendship and understanding. This year’s reading will be held on May 4, 2026 at the Intrepid Museum.

This abridged version of playwright Caridad Svich’s new play, created during her 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship, asks who we will be in the next 100 years. This multimedia performance piece, supported by student design fellows, asks audiences to imagine, against all odds, there is a future that is not foreclosed.

Directed by Professor Courtney Ryan
Design by Professor Jake Salgado

Performed at the Williams Center for the Arts · Lafayette College

Details and ticket info HERE.

Strawdog Theatre Company has announced the cast for the final production of its 38th season, 12 Ophelias, written by Caridad Svich and directed by Strawdog co-artistic director, Kamille Dawkins*.

The production features Tierra Matthews as Ophelia, Dryden Zurawski as Rude Boy, Molly Kempfer as Mina, Rafael Gray Lopez as H, Jillian Leff as R, Jared Sprowls as G, and Eileen Dixon as Gertrude.

Understudies for this production are Fiona Walsh Calton as Ophelia (Understudy), Andrew Freeland as Rude Boy (Understudy), Shay Gordon* as R (Understudy), Makari Robinson-McNeese as H and G (Understudy), and Isa Grofsorean as Gertrude and Mina (Understudy).

In this play with broken songs, Shakespeare’s Ophelia rises out of the water dreaming of reclaiming her life. She finds herself in a neo-Elizabethan Appalachian setting where Gertrude runs a brothel, Hamlet is a Rude Boy and nothing is what it seems. In this mirrored world of word-scraps and cold sex, Ophelia cuts a new path for herself.

The production will run April 17 – May 24, 2026, with previews April 10 – 12. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm at The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St. Chicago, IL 60626. Tickets will go live at strawdog.org on February 23, 2026. Tickets are sliding scale between $10-$80.

The production team includes Becca Levy* (Movement and Intimacy Director), Maureen Azzun* (Assistant Director), Rose Johnson (Scenic Designer), Chris Stopka (Technical Director), Leo Bassow (Props Designer), Emily N. Brink (Costume Designer), Ellie Humphrys (Lighting Designer), and Heath Hays* (Sound Designer) with Stage Management from Phil Claudnic and Production Management from Shelby Burgus. Co-Artistic Director, Noah Elman* is Producer.

*Denotes Strawdog ensemble member

---

Listing on ChicagoPlays.com HERE.

Weber State University will produce Ushuaia Blue as part of their 2026 season. You can read more about the play HERE and get tickets on the Weber State site HERE.

Show details:

Feb. 13, 14 & 18-21 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.
ASL Interpreted Performance Feb. 19
By Caridad Svich

Ushuaia Blue is a haunting and poetic journey through memory, love, and loss. Set at the edge of the world in the windswept landscapes of Tierra del Fuego, the play follows a grieving couple as they search for connection in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. With lyrical language and raw emotion, Ushuaia Blue offers a moving exploration of what it means to remember, to endure, and to hope.

The Larking House in Anaheim will feature a reading of future emergencies on Saturday, November 1st.

Check their website to get the Zoom link to attend:

https://www.thelarkinghouse.com/playwrightsintensive