Step into the world of Snow White with a brand-new tale of kindness and courage

Ghostlight Ensemble brings a new twist to a classic fairy tale with its newest young audiences production opening this weekend, The 8th Dwarf.

Written by Chicago theatre artist Olivia Sieck, The 8th Dwarf takes place in the world of Snow White and tells the story of Binkley, a shy outsider dwarf who dreams of joining the mythical seven. To do so Binkley will need to harness their courage, honesty and kindness to meet the challenges set to them by Snow White.

“I always loved the story of Snow White as a kid, and I wanted to bring my own twist to it,” Sieck said. “I loved that it taught us strength in resilience, empathy and hope; creating joy and connecting with others.

“I wanted to show that being the fairest in the land doesn't mean outer beauty, but inner beauty as well — like helping others of those in need,” she added.

The story is told with an ensemble of four actors taking on nearly 30 characters (including Snow White, a witch, cows, a sports announcer and a French-ish chef) in this 50 minute play. The cast is comprised of actors Amanda Elana de la Fuente, Yuni Mora, Sydney Ray and Drake St. Pierre.

“Kids will enjoy the show because of its unique (yet very familiar) characters and the hero’s journey that Binkley takes us on,” said Ray, who is also a Ghostlight Ensemble member. “It’s a silly fun adventure.”

The show is directed by John Gleason Teske.

The 8th Dwarf takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. from Feb. 7-15 at the Bughouse Theater (1910 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613). Tickets are available at  https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/the-8th-dwarf.

The show is also part of Chicago Theatre Week 2026, which runs from Feb. 5 to Feb. 15 and offers value-priced tickets for 75 shows across the city at $30, $15 or even less.  A limited number of Theatre Week tickets for children remain (this Saturday’s Theatre Week tickets are completely sold out) at https://hottix.org/chicago-theatre-week.

Ghostlight Ensemble is a Chicago-based storefront theatre company that asks questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories, immersive environments and unconventional staging. As part of its season, Ghostlight always presents a young audiences show under its Nightlight banner. The shows include original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them.

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Auditions Announced for 'The Dover Road'

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UPDATE (2/3/2026): ALL audition slots have been filled, and we have a very lengthy waitlist. We have received well over 200 submissions (and more are still coming in)! While we'd love to see all of you, unfortunately we only have a limited number of audition slots.

If you can no longer make the auditions or are available for all the dates of the performances, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer other actors the opportunity. Thank you so much for your consideration toward your fellow actors.

Ghostlight Ensemble is casting for its spring production of The Dover Road by AA Milne, set in the home of the eccentric Latimer, who waylays couples running away together and gives them a taste of what their lives together might be like by forcing them into sustained exposure to each other's habits and idiosyncrasies. This 1920s British comedy-of-manners is a not-so-subtle dissection of romantic love, but buried beneath is a less obvious commentary on the homosexuality, bisexuality and gender nonconformity that has always existed in society if you knew where to look.

Ghostlight will be casting for the following roles and understudies. Actors should submit via this form. Please note that understudies will cover more than one role. The role of Latimer is already cast. 

Casting for the following:

  • DOMINIC – any race, 30s-60s, male-presenting. Butler to Latimer, wry and supremely capable.

  • ANNE – any race, late 20s-early 30s, female-presenting. Inexperienced but wise (and wise-cracking) beyond her years. Running away with Leonard. 

  • LEONARD - any race, 40s-50s, male-presenting. Privileged, blustering, believes he is more effective than he is. Running away with Anne though not quite yet divorced from Eustasia.

  • NICHOLAS – any race, late 20s, male-presenting. Accidental cad who stumbles into affairs more than he actively seduces. Running away with Eustasia.

  • EUSTASIA – any race, 30s-40s, female-presenting. Caretaker and hypochondriac. Eustasia feels unwanted in her marriage to Leonard. Running away with Nicholas.

Please Note: There is no scripted kissing or sexual intimacy, but actors portraying Latimer, Anne, Leonard, Nicholas, and Eustasia will play romantically charged scenes in various couplings, which may include some flirtatious or affectionate touch with other characters, both male and female presenting. 

Time Commitment:
Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings and/or weekend days beginning in late February or early March and scheduled according to cast availability.

Cast members and understudies MUST be available the following dates:

  • Tech week: Saturday, April 11-Wednesday, April 15

  • Performances will run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoon matinees from Thursday, April 16 - Sunday, May 1, 2026, with the TBD addition of one possible Monday evening performance on April 28. Please note that performances will be held in the South Loop at Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 

Materials To Prepare:
Fill out the this audition form. If invited to audition, you will receive sides to prepare via email prior to your audition. If you are unavailable for initial auditions on Saturday, Feb 7, we may consider video submissions. If we would like you to submit a video, we will send a request with sides to prepare. 

Note on Gender: Please submit for any role that you feel comfortable portraying based on your gender expression/identity.

Pay: Main cast: $300 stipend for production. Understudies: $150 stipend + $25/show performed.

Audition Time: Initial auditions on Saturday, February 7: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Callbacks on Sunday, February 8: 4-8 p.m. 

Audition Location: Auditions will be held in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Details will be provided via email.

Contact for questions: casting@ghostlightensemble.com

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Call for Submissions: Actors needed for upcoming Staged Reading

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Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking actor submissions for its upcoming staged reading of Lady Lazarus by Haley Basil, directed by Jessica Love.

Synopsis: Callie is stuck. She can't finish her goddamn book, can't pay rent, and can't seem to get over her ex. And oops! She may have just killed him. So, Callie and her best friend Gia (who maybe-is-in-love-with-her-but-let's-not-talk-about-that) go on the run, with Callie's literary agent and a lady cop chasing behind. Can Callie outrun them and her past???

Material to Prepare: Actors should record one self-tape of one of the provided monologues from the Google Drive link. This does not need to be memorized. Please complete this Google Form in order to submit the audition.

Audition Date and Time: Self-tape Deadline - Sunday, February 8th @ 11:59pm

Pay Rate: $25 Stipend

Time Commitment:

  • Callbacks - Virtual callbacks will be held in 10-minute slots on February 20th and 21st.

  • Rehearsals - Three rehearsals will be held in-person in early March.

  • Reading - Sunday, March 22nd at 7pm at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro (3905 N Lincoln Ave.)

Character Type/Restrictions:

  • CALLIE: 20s, she/her. A heartbroken, bisexual writer struggling with crippling writer’s block. Lost, flailing.

  • ZACH: 20s-30s, he/him. A soft boy. A heart breaker. Gentle, losing his patience.

  • GIA: 20s, she/her. Queer actor, Callie’s ride or die best friend. Patient, caring. 

  • ALEXANDRIA: 20s-30s, she/her. Sexually liberated lady cop. Flirty, fierce.

  • LEITA/JOSH: 20s-30s, she/they. Also immortal, he/him. No nonsense literary agent. Also a demon boy in hell who just wants a kiss. Direct, driven.

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Meet the cast of ‘The 8th Dwarf’

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(From Top L, clockwise): Sydney Ray, Amanda Elana de la Fuente, Yuni Mora and Drake St. Pierre

Ghostlight Ensemble is pleased to announce the cast and production team of our Nightlight production for young audiences, The 8th Dwarf by Olivia Sieck.

The play, which takes place in the world of Snow White, tells the story of Binkley, a shy outsider dwarf who dreams of joining the mythical seven. To do so Binkley will need to harness their courage, honesty and kindness to meet the challenges set to them by Snow White.

The cast of The 8th Dwarf is: Ensemble Member Sydney Ray with guest artists Amanda Elana de la Fuente, Drake St. Pierre and Yuni Mora.

The production team is: playwright Olivia Sieck, director John Gleason Teske, stage manager Anna Bundy, costume designer Kasey Wolfgang and producer Maria Burnham.

The 8th Dwarf shows us the power of courage, kindness and wit, and how those characteristics mean more than all the material goods in the world.

The production is part of our Nightlight young audiences series, which produces original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. The show takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. from Feb. 7-15 at the Bughouse Theater (1910 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613).

Tickets are on sale now. The 8th Dwarf is part of Chicago Theatre Week 2026, which runs from Feb. 5 to Feb. 15 and offers value-priced tickets for 75 shows across the city at $30, $15 or even less.  A limited number of Theatre Week tickets are still available for this show.

Ghostlight nominated as Best Storefront Theatre Company

Voting is now live for The Chicago Reader Best of Chicago 2025. Ghostlight is honored to have been nominated in the Best Storefront Theatre Company. We'd love to have your vote in this final round.

Please also consider supporting our Ensemble members and collaborators in the following categories:

Vote here: https://chicagoreader.com/best-of-chicago-2025-arts-culture/

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Theatre matters. Love matters.

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Angry Fags by Topher Payne returns for its final weekend tonight, November 20.

Instead of another post talking about how great the show is (it IS!) we thought we’d let Ensemble Member and Angry Fags cast member Jean E. Mueller-Burr tell you about why theatre really matters in these trying times and what your support of the arts really means.

Jean E. Mueller-Burr as Kimberly Phillips in Angry Fags by Topher Payne (Photo by Pete Guither/For Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre Co.)

Jean E. Mueller-Burr:
“Theatre is an escape. Theatre makes you face tough truths. Theatre is empathy embodied. Theatre is rage and joy and sadness and envy and unbridled energy. Theatre gives a voice to those who feel like they're shouting into the void.

“Theatre is comfort. Theatre is political. Theatre gives a giant hug or a giant middle finger to allies or enemies. Theatre is limitless. Theatre is magic. Theatre is electric. Theatre is fabricated. Theatre is real.

“Theatre matters.

“Let's be honest, it's terrifying to do anything right now. It's scary to even approach plays that lean in any sort of political direction. Going to see a show can feel like a waste of precious time that could be spent doing something that can show more tangible change. Something that really ‘matters.’

“But theatre is undeniably political. Theatre can start movements and launch stars. Theatre has always been a way to drive conversations and a way to offer other perspectives. In a time when we are so divided by the actions of greedy individuals, it's important to feel heard; it's important to offer those who oppress the ability to see the world through the eyes of the oppressed, if only for the slight chance they have a change of heart. It's important to show that, no matter how lonely you feel or how desperate you become, you are not alone - you are in the pages and on the stage. It's important to sit in a space with people from all walks of life and experience a new world, free from any restrictions we have in our own.

“Words, actors, direction, costumes, props, lighting and collaboration. Theatre is a movement. And it matters.”

You can help support art that matters and organizations that matter via our Love As A Verb Fundraiser, which is in its final weeks.

Angry Fags runs through Nov. 23 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The performances take place at Lifeline Theatre. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with a minimum suggested donation of $25 and are available now.

Angry Fags is part of Ghostlight’s 9th Season celebrating otherness and uplifting Queer characters and voices.

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Auditions announced for 'The 8th Dwarf' young audiences show

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Ghostlight Ensemble is casting for its February production of The 8th Dwarf by Olivia Sieck. The 8th Dwarf is part of our Nightlight young audiences series, which produces original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. The play tells the story of Binkley, an outsider dwarf who longs to find the courage to join the most special of their kind – the dwarves that work in the mines. Through adventure after adventure, Binkley learns that courage, kindness and wit matter more than anything and that actions speak louder than material goods.

Character Type:
Ghostlight will be casting for an ensemble of four actors who play various characters throughout the show, including Binkley, Snow White, townspeople and even a cow. There are no restrictions on age, race or gender. All are encouraged to apply. Ensemble members will be on stage for the run of the performance, so physical energy, character work, and connecting with young audiences a necessity. 

Time Commitment:

Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings and/or weekend days in January 2025. Final dates will be confirmed after review of cast conflicts.

Cast members MUST be available the following dates:

Tech: Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and rehearsals during the week of Feb. 2-6 in the evenings.

Performances: Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Feb. 7-8 and Feb. 14-15, 2026, at Bughouse Theatre in the NorthCenter neighborhood of Chicago (1910 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613).

Materials To Prepare:
Please submit your headshot and resume to Jean Mueller-Burr, Casting Director, at casting@ghostlightensemble.com. Please clearly indicate if you have any conflicts during indicated audition times on Dec 3 & Dec. 6.

Sides will be provided.

Pay:
$100 rehearsal stipend + $25 per performance.

In addition, performers will receive one comp ticket to a performance of their choosing.

Audition Time & Location:
General: Wednesday, Dec. 3: 6-10 p.m. at Midsummer Flight (1020 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660)

Callbacks: Saturday, Dec. 6: 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Midsummer Flight.

To submit, you must be available for callbacks. This is an ensemble cast, and you will need to read with your fellow actors so auditors can view your rapport.

Contact:
Jean Mueller-Burr
Email: casting@ghostlightensemble.com

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Seeking Stage Manager & Costume Designer for Nightlight young audiences show in February

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Ghostlight Ensemble is seeking a Stage Manager and a Costume Designer for its February production of The 8th Dwarf by Olivia Sieck. The 8th Dwarf is part of our Nightlight young audiences series, which produces original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. The play tells the story of Binkley, an outsider dwarf who longs to find the courage to join the most special of their kind – the dwarves that work in the mines. Through adventure after adventure, Binkleylearns that courage, kindness and wit matter more than anything and that actions speak louder than material goods.

Job Details:
The Stage Manger will attend all rehearsals and performances.

The Costume Designer will dress 4 actors who will play multiple characters throughout the show. For our young audience productions we aim for our costume design to be inspired by the type of costumes a child might put together for themselves were they designing a dwarf or a witch outfit. We are looking for a simple way for actors to distinguish themselves as different characters as they sometimes must quickly change from character to character while on stage.

Costumes do not necessarily need to be complex but must be functional. We ask that the Costume Designer be available for production meetings, as needed, tech week and wardrobe fittings in January/February. Dates confirmed according to cast and production team availability.

Key Dates:
Rehearsals will be 3-4 times/week on weeknight evenings and/or weekend days in January 2025. Final dates will be confirmed after review of cast conflicts.

Tech: Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and rehearsals during the week of Feb. 2-6 in the evenings.

Performances: Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Feb. 7-8 and Feb. 14-15, 2026, at Bughouse Theatre in the NorthCenter neighborhood of Chicago (1910 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613).

Instructions to Apply:
To be considered, please send resume to Maria Burnham maria@ghostlightensemble.com

Pay Rate/Range:
$250 stipend for each job.

Recommended: Two weekends remain to see the 'perfectly calibrated ensemble' of Angry Fags

Ericka Ayche’le as Peggy Musgrove (left) and Catherine Councell as Allison Haines in Angry Fags. (Photo by Pete Guither)

“As directed by Jack Bowes, they form a perfectly calibrated ensemble. Every single joke lands…Every performance shines, and each actor brings tons of personality and exuberance to their part, elevating the material to an extent I would not have thought possible.” — C.J. Fernandes, Stage and Cinema

Audience and critics have been left astounded by Ghostlight Ensemble’s production of Angry Fags by Topher Payne. Recommended by critics and audiences alike, the show is a political thriller and dark comedy for those who feel overwhelmed by futility of endless political arguments.

According to New City Stage, “the play’s greatest strength is its humanization of stereotypes—the idea that we all contain good and evil within us despite group affiliation.”

RECOMMENDED: Read the full Stage and Cinema review here.

RECOMMENDED: Read the full New City Stage review here.

Angry Fags runs through Nov. 23 on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., with a preview performance on Friday, Nov. 7. The performances take place at Lifeline Theatre. Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with a minimum suggested donation of $25 and are available now.

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'Angry Fags' featured on Out Chicago

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Justin Broom (left) and Rafael Gray López in Ghostlight Ensemble’s production Angry Fags by Topher Payne. (Photo by Pete Guither/For Ghostlight Ensemble)

Angry Fags director Jack Bowes and our co-Artistic Director Justin Broom (who stars in the show) spoke with Scott Duff and guest co-host Ken Mejia-Beal on Out Chicago about the production.

Bowes: “It’s very dark, but very funny.”

Duff: “That’s the perfect teaser.”

Mejia-Beal: “I want to go to there!”

Find their full interview here: Out Chicago, Nov. 09, 2025 - Out Chicago - Omny.fm

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Join us for a talkback after Angry Fags on Sunday, Nov. 16

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Sydney Genco (left) and Johnard Washington in Ghostlight Ensemble’s produciton of Angry Fags by Topher Payne. (Photo by Pete Guither/For Ghostlight Ensemble)

Learn more about the issues addressed by Angry Fags and the creative process that went into developing it for Ghostlight Ensemble’s production.

A talkback with members of the cast and the director is scheduled after the performance this Sunday, November 16. Come for the show and stay for the talkback (or just come for the talkback!)

Talkbacks are moderated and give audiences the opportunity to ask questions about the performances, staging, costumes, plot, etc. Talkbacks are meant to be a two-way dialogue in which the audience poses questions and offers opinions as they engage with the performers and creative team on issues in the play that warrant a deeper conversation, including race, religion, gender identification or the political landscape of our times. These conversations generally last 30 minutes and are an excellent opportunity to explore a play firsthand.

Check out Angry Fags Director Jack Bowes interview in Windy City Time

Jack Bowes (left) at rehearsals for Angry Fags. (Photo by Maria Burnham/For Ghostlight Ensemble)

Angry Fags director Jack Bowes recently sat down with Windy City Times reporter Brian Kirst and discussed the show, the power of words and how “We are all angry fags.”

“…getting into things that challenge people, that is where the gold is! So much of our media is spoon fed to us by our likes and dislikes. I hope people still want to be challenged and experience new things.” — Jack Bowes

Read the entire interview here.

Get ready to Bingo with Ghostlight and Hamburger Mary's

Hamburger Mary's is BACK! And Ghostlight is excited to be part of its Wednesday’ night HamBingo event in October to benefit our fall production of Angry Fags.

Hamburger Mary's Chicago is a lively burger bar and drag show destination, now in the heart of Edgewater, serving up gourmet burgers, playful appetizers, and unforgettable performances. Known for its vibrant LGBTQ+ community vibe, the restaurant features nightly drag events, themed brunches, and a glampy atmosphere full of personality.

HamBINGO is a weekly charity event held in the dining room at Hamburger Mary’s at 7 p.m. every Wednesday, hosted by one of their fabulous drag queens! In addition to traditional BINGO games, they throw in a few audience-participation games to keep things fun!

Join us on Wednesday, October 21 for some fabulous prizes. The Bingo will be as vicious as the Queens who host it!

Make sure to reserve your spot in advance at: Chicago Events - Hamburger Mary's – Gourmet Burgers & Drag Shows in Chicago.

Tickets are now on sale for Angry Fags

Starting TODAY, tickets are on sale for our fall show, Angry Fags by Topher Payne. This all-too-relevant play about what happens when political rhetoric turns violent is a story of frustration and fear that eventually gives way to rage and revenge.

Angry Fags centers on LGBTQ+ issues and gives voice to the rage that people are feeling about what’s happening in the world around us, but it also prompts us to consider what we do with that rage besides letting it turn us into the very thing we are fighting against.

Tickets are available today via the show page. Click here to access it.

Saturday’s ticket release also coincides with National Coming Out Day, which was first observed in 1988 to commemorate the anniversary of the historic National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The day encourages individuals to come out and share their stories, helping raise awareness and shift societal attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community. With nearly half of Americans knowing someone who is gay or lesbian, and one in 10 knowing someone who is transgender, coming out continues to be a crucial step toward social progress.

Learn more about National Coming Out Day and find resources here.

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Tickets on sale now for Holiday Spirits at the Driehaus Museum

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If you missed it last year — or loved it so much you can’t wait to see it again — tickets are now on sale for Holiday Spirits: A collection of Victorian Yuletide Ghost Stories at The Driehaus Museum!

And this time you have two chances to catch this multi-story and multi-storied immersive, site-specific adaptation of classic Victorian ghost stories. "Holiday Spirits" will take place on Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12 at 6 p.m.

Three distinct stories will unfold throughout the museum. Limited seating will be provided but audiences should be prepared to move with the actors as they uncover these otherworldly visitors.

Last year the performance sold out in a matter of days, so get your tickets now before they're all gone! Tickets are available here.

Up Next: Join us for a fall Happy Hour on Oct. 21

We had such a great time with our spring Happy Hour, that we’re doing another round and we’ll hope you’ll join us!

Ghostlight Ensemble presents the second installment of Happy Hour — a staged reading series made up of short plays with one thing in common, they’re all set in bars. The readings will take place, where else but, IN a bar, so join us on Tuesday, October 21, at My Buddy’s to start the Halloween season off fright.

Happy Hour features a mix of writers from the greater Chicago area, but also submissions from across the Midwest as well as the coasts.

The seven stories that make up the show include tales of new loves, old loves, grief, joy and Bigfoot.

See the entire lineup here!

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Ghostlight Ensemble Announces Cast for 'Angry Fags'

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Top Row: (From left) Ericka Ayche’le, Justin Broom, Jean E. Mueller-Burr & Catherine Councell; 2nd Row: Seth Eggenschwiller, Sydney Genco, Rafael Gray López & Courtney Marie; 3rd Row: Allison McCorkle, Johnard Washington, Jack Bowes & Topher Payne

Ghostlight Ensemble is pleased to announce the cast and production team of our fall production Angry Fags by Topher Payne.

The play, a not-easy-to-define gay crime/political thriller/drama/dark comedy, examines what happens when the persecuted take up arms in what was previously a political war of words mired in oppression and bigotry.

The cast of Angry Fags is: Ensemble Members Justin Broom as Bennett Riggs and Jean E. Mueller-Burr as Kimberly Phillips with Catherine Councell as Senator Allison Haines, Sydney Genco as Deidre Preston, Rafael Gray López as Cooper Harlow, Ericka Ayche’le as Peggy Musgrove and Johnard Washington as Adam Lowell. Understudies are: Ensemble Member Courtney Marie with Seth Eggenschwiller and Allison McCorkle.

The production team is: playwright Topher Payne, director Jack Bowes, production management Justin Broom and Chad Wise, stage manager Haley Welch, scenic and props designer Nora Brooks-Slauter, lighting designer Chelsea Strebe, projections and sound designer Connor Blackwood, costume designer Savana Nix, fight and intimacy choreographer Claire Yearman and marketing Maria Burnham with casting help from Holly Robison.

Read their bios here.

In Angry Fags, a white lesbian state senator is up for re-election in Georgia. Her female opponent is a Black moderate conservative who has aligned herself with right-wing extremists. They’re locked in a tight race in which each side caters to its base and any event can become instantaneously politicized.

When a gay man is bashed with a baseball bat and left to die, his ex-boyfriend, a campaign aide for the incumbent senator, is enraged. But his boss’s unwillingness to label it a hate crime tips him over the edge. Frustration and fear eventually turn to rage, and he teams up with his best friend to embark on a vendetta of sabotage and more, reasoning that if gays aren’t respected enough to win justice, fear will achieve what good intentions and politics cannot.

Angry Fags asks what do we do with our righteous anger? Who do we turn to when we exist within a system that does not protect us, care for us, or keep us safe? Angry Fags is a story of two gay men grappling with these questions and more, as they navigate what justice means to them, to the queer community, and how far they’ll go to fight for it.

Director Jack Bowes says, “When we are taught that the ability to enact violence means power, why are we surprised when the powerless wield it as a tool of resistance? And yet Audre Lorde taught us that ‘the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.’ As fascism crests the horizon of our political landscape, as our communities are increasingly surveilled, as technology further isolates us, what are our options? I hope we can create new tools. And I really hope we can dismantle this entire house, before it’s too late.”

Angry Fags was last produced in Chicago in April 2015 by Pride Films and Plays as part of the Steppenwolf Garage Rep Series.

But Payne re-wrote the cautionary dark comedy in 2019 to reflect the aftermath of the election of the 2016 election and felt that the story being told in his play could not exclude the discussion of race. Concerns about gender, race and sexual orientation do not exist in the bubble, but are all part of the same story of oppression.

Angry Fags will take place at Lifeline Theatre (6912 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626) on Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. November 7-23, 2025. A preview performance is scheduled on Friday, November 7.

Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with an average donation of $25. Audience members who are financially able to donate more help offset the cost for those who can’t afford to give. For the preview performance, the suggested donation is $10.

Angry Fags is part of Ghostlight’s season celebrating otherness and uplifting Queer characters and voices. Season 9 is centered on the theme, Love As A Verb, and is inspired by a passage from All About Love by bell hooks: “The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would all love better if we used it as a verb.”

More information about Angry Fags can be found at www.ghostlightensemble.com/angry-fags.

Ghostlight Ensemble acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Angry Fags is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

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Love Takes Place on Stage in 3 Stages, Starting this Friday

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(From left) Khnemu Menu-Ra, Dani Brady, Jill Waycie on piano and Jean E. Mueller-Burr will perform "3 Stages of Love" at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro Fridays in September. (Photo by Chad Wise/for Ghostlight Ensemble)

Ensemble Member Khnemu Menu-Ra recently sat down with Patch NorthCenter to discuss his cabaret 3 Stages of Love, which begins this Friday, September 8, at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro.

Love always makes for a good story because some part of it is always relatable. And what better way to explore all the various sides to love than in a three-part cabaret using – at least some – words and songs that people already know.

Chicago theatre artist Khnemu Menu-Ra has spent a decade crafting his 3 Stages of Love – a three-part semi-autobiographical work that features a blend of Shakespeare and song, as well as original pieces.

“I love how the intimacy of a cabaret setting can create a personal, creative flexibility to share classic favorites in a fresh frame or connect more contemporary material to the broad palette of influences from which it sprang,” Menu-Ra said.

Read the entire article here.

Call for Scripts: Happy Hour returns in October

ATTENTION LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS!

Due to the overwhelming success of our Happy Hour reading of short plays set in bars in March, we've lined up a second installment for October that will feature all new plays.

All previously submitted scripts from playwrights near and far will be considered, but we will also be accepting additional plays from playwrights in the Chicagoland area. (We’ll use a very loose interpretation of this, so if you’re in Rockford or Milwaukee, we’ll take your scripts too.)

The same guidelines apply as before. They can be found here.

Happy Hour will take place in the backroom bar at : My Buddy’s (4416 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640)

Deadline to submit: Monday, September 1.

Cool Off with Ice Cream & a Good Cause

As part of our Love As A Verb season fundraiser, we are excited to be partnering with Jeni's for an Ice Cream Social!

Jeni's will be donating 25 percent of sales during the event to Ghostlight as part of our efforts to raise funds for our 9th Season. No special passwords or forms to fill out. Just show up and get some ice cream!

Stop by the Jeni’s Andersonville location on Wednesday, August 27 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to learn more about our upcoming season, grab a scoop and help support Chicago theater! See you there! 

Can’t make it to Jeni’s but still want to donate? Check out the Love As A Verb fundraising page where you can learn more about our upcoming season and the two Chicago area LGBTQ+ organizations —  Brave Space Alliance and Gerber Hart Library & Archives — for which we are also raising money. Every donation helps, no matter how small.

Thank you for supporting theatre that challenges the status quo.