Chicago’s fall theater season is just around the corner, so it’s time to grab tickets — and make a few new friends. WBEZ’s Theater Club is returning for a second season, and we have a slate of three shows that we are excited to see with all of you.
Our theme this season is “brand new.” We are offering you a chance to see productions inside two brand-new theaters, and we are filling our fall itinerary with premieres: two world premieres — “The Birth of the Pill” at Timeline Theatre and “All the World” at Northlight Theatre — and one Chicago premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “A Strange Loop.”
Each performance will be followed by a panel conversation between WBEZ and the artists behind the show — and I will pass the mic to club members to pose a few questions, because we’re a community. We’ll conclude each event with a cocktail hour where we hang out, take pics and chat about all the plays we’ve seen around town.
And now the fun part. I get to announce this season’s slate of shows.
Sept. 12: “The Birth of the Pill” at TimeLine Theatre
This world premiere written by Jessica Huang is based on the revelatory 2014 nonfiction book of the same title by Pulitzer Prize- winning Chicago author Jonathan Eig. The show is about a simple pill that will give women full control over their reproductive futures, and all of the obstacles in its development. This outing is a great opportunity to explore TimeLine’s new building in Edgewater and break in the new bar and lobby area after the show.
Oct. 18: “A Strange Loop” at Raven Theatre
Raven’s recent production of the a cappella musical “Octet” went so well that it transferred to the Goodman. Now Raven is mounting a full musical with the Chicago premiere of “A Strange Loop” by playwright and composer Michael R. Jackson. On paper, this show feels “Inception”-esque, a musical about a Broadway usher who’s writing a musical about a Broadway usher. It’s a brain teaser, but it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020.
Nov. 21: “All the World” at Northlight Theatre
This world premiere written by Lauren Gunderson, the most produced living playwright in America at the moment, will take us to another new theater. Northlight’s new home in Evanston has maintained an intimate feel in the theater itself, but the big beautiful lobby area is a reminder of the thought and intention that went into this state-of-the-art multimillion dollar facility. The production, directed by Chicago theater vet Jessica Thebus, is a backstage romcom about two actors trying to manage their relationship on and off stage during the holidays.
Learn more about WBEZ’s Theater Club here and find links to buy tickets. Answers to some frequently asked questions are below.
What is Chicago Public Media’s Theater Club?
Theater Club is a community of curious theatergoers who explore Chicago’s vibrant performing arts scene together with WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis. The project piloted in Spring 2026 and we are excited to bring it back for Fall 2026.
How does Theater Club work?
Chicago Public Media, the parent organization of WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, purchases tickets at a group discount for productions and sells them to participants, who attend a production in a group and are invited to discuss the work afterwards. Participants may buy tickets for a single show or multiple productions, depending on availability. WBEZ members are offered the first opportunity to buy the tickets.
How much do tickets cost?
Tickets are discounted, usually 50% off face value for each show. They include the show, the post-show talkback and a drink during cocktail hour. We don’t make a profit from Theater Club, and don’t expect to. But tickets are not free because we still believe it is important to support local theaters.
How do you select the theaters?
So far, the focus of Theater Club has been exploring new plays, so we have focused our attention there. A goal of Theater Club is to explore the city’s vast theater scene, including its storefronts, so we are not repeating any destinations from our Spring 2026 slate. We don’t accept solicitations from theaters. This is a menu of shows carefully curated by WBEZ’s arts desk.