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Latest News

10 Plays Honoring Black History To Read, Revisit, & Produce Year Round

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:46:05-05:00February 24th, 2021|Latest News, Play Lists|

As we honor Black History Month in February, we remember that every day is an opportunity to uplift Black voices, Black art, and Black lives.  In his 2017 essay on Imagining a Better, More Inclusive Theatre, playwright, educator, and activist [...]

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19/20 Season Announcement Round-Up

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:23:17-05:00July 26th, 2019|Latest News, Shows|

While we try to make the summer last as long as possible, we are already excited about the treasure trove of shows lined up in BTD's 19/20 season. Below are just a sample of the productions coming our way very [...]

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2020 Equity Jeff Nominees in the BTD!

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:39:04-05:00September 16th, 2020|Chicago Theater, Latest News|

The 52nd Annual Equity Joseph Jefferson Award nominees were announced earlier this week, celebrating excellence in Chicago theater and hosting both Equity and Non-Equity award ceremonies each year. The Belmont Theater District extends its congratulations to all nominees and would [...]

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4 Chicago Theaters That Feature AAPI Stories

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:48:59-05:00May 28th, 2021|Chicago Theater, Latest News|

It’s no secret that Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) stories and performers (and all other artists and crew members) are extremely under-represented on American stages. In May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, but every day [...]

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4 Comedians Reveal What It’s Really Like for Women in the Industry & How They’re Having The Last Laugh

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:47:27-05:00March 23rd, 2021|Comedy, Interviews, Latest News|

For Women’s History Month, we asked a few women in comedy for their thoughts on the industry, how it’s been, how to make it better for women, and where they hope it will go from here.  What is the best [...]

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5 BTD Shows to See This Summer

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:19:06-05:00June 13th, 2019|Latest News, Shows|

Things are heating up in the Belmont Theater District! From storytelling to improv to musicals and more, here are just five of many BTD shows to fill your summer nights. For a complete listing of shows playing now and coming [...]

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6 Resources Playwrights Need to Know

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:48:31-05:00April 15th, 2021|Latest News, Play Lists|

April is National Playwriting Month, and it just so happens to be Shakespeare's birthday on the 23rd. But even if you’re not the Bard, every writer needs a great toolkit to maintain their workflow. Whether it’s for visibility, support, or [...]

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A “Free” Set: José Manuel Díaz-Soto Talks TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR POCKET

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:18:15-05:00May 23rd, 2019|Interviews, Latest News|

From the moment the audience enters TimeLine Theatre to see Jiréh Breon Holder's Too Heavy For Your Pocket, they are in two worlds at once. They walk softly over grass that slopes up a small hill and right into a kitchen. [...]

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A Little More About Music Box Chicago’s Highs & Lows Series

Colton Davis2022-02-28T16:36:08-05:00February 28th, 2022|BTD Theaters, Latest News|

Presented by Oscarbate and Hollywood Entertainment | Sponsored by DePaul University  Films of a higher tier, those stamped with the seal of Art, usually accrue a more serious following than many of the movies being made on a supposedly lower-tier - those branded with [...]

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Accessibility & Inclusion On Stage and Off – An Interview with Brian Balcom

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:41:14-05:00October 23rd, 2020|Arts Advocacy, Chicago Theater, Interviews, Latest News|

(Brian Balcom photo by Alison Thvedt) October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). BTD spoke with Brian Balcom about his work in accessibility in theater shortly after [...]

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Annoyance’s SPLATTER Brings the Blood for Over 30 years

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:28:33-05:00October 28th, 2019|Interviews, Latest News, Shows|

Splatter is a staple of the Chicago Halloween season. I got the 4-11 from Annoyance's Managing Director Charley Carroll who told me all about the fascinating, messy history of this shocker of a show. BTD: Tell us the history of [...]

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  • BTD

August is Hot in the BTD: 5 Shows You’ll Want To See

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:38:35-05:00August 12th, 2020|Latest News, Shows, Virtual Theater|

Someone turned up the heat in Chicago's 2020 summer, and the temperature is not the only thing that is hot around here. While the houses are still mostly dark in the Belmont Theater District, here are five theaters inviting you to [...]

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Best of Chicago: Vote Now for BTD Theaters!

Colton Davis2022-01-14T14:14:00-05:00January 14th, 2022|BTD, BTD Theaters, Latest News|

It's that time of year again - Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago is back, and quite a few theaters in the Belmont Theater District are vying for your vote for Best of 2021! From "Best venue for dance" to "Best [...]

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Blue is Back – Blue Man Group Reopening

Colton Davis2021-08-06T11:08:45-05:00August 5th, 2021|Latest News, Shows|

Theatrical phenomenon Blue Man Group will resume its Chicago residency at Lakeview’s Briar Street Theatre on Wednesday, August 18. A dynamic combination of art, music, comedy, and technology, Blue Man Group encourages audiences to reconnect with their inner (and outer) [...]

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BTD is Back! Theaters Respond to Reopening

Melissa Schmitz2021-10-12T14:05:56-05:00October 12th, 2021|BTD, BTD Theaters, Chicago Theater, Interviews, Latest News|

After more than a year of being closed, the Belmont Theater District is once again doing live performances, with more shows opening each week. Here’s what some of our member theaters had to say about reopening after a pandemic.  To [...]

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  • BTD's Spotlight Blogs

BTD’s Theater Spotlight Roundup

Melissa Schmitz2022-01-02T14:51:56-05:00January 18th, 2022|Latest News|

The Belmont Theater District has such a variety of theater and comedy clubs and yes, even a magic show that we thought they all deserved their own spotlight blog so you can learn more about your favorite theaters and hopefully [...]

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Celebrate Black History Month With TimeLine Theatre’s Relentless

Colton Davis2022-02-01T12:14:38-05:00February 1st, 2022|Latest News|

Playwright Tyla Abercrumbie’s Relentless is a gift to the Timeline Theatre audience. It is an unforgettable look into a Black family in early 20th century America. Developed through TimeLine’s Playwrights Collective, this world premiere weaves a mother’s past with her daughters’ present [...]

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Celebrate Women’s History Month by Seeing Women of Soul

Colton Davis2022-02-28T17:44:35-05:00February 28th, 2022|BTD, Latest News, Shows|

As recently as this time last year, the Mercury Theater looked to be closed for good. In June 2020, Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon, the venue’s owners and programmers since 2010, announced they’d be shutting the doors permanently due to [...]

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Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble Tells You a Wicked Story

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:35:35-05:00June 8th, 2020|BTD Theaters, Interviews, Latest News, Shows|

Chicago Playback Theatre was founded in 2019 and is one of the youngest companies in the Belmont Theater District. In this video, you'll get a taste of their type of performance and how they're still able to perform during the [...]

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Chicago Theater Critics in the Time of COVID – Part 1

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:36:04-05:00June 17th, 2020|Chicago Theater, Interviews, Latest News|

(Pictured L to R: Colin Douglas, Regina Victor, Kerry Reid) (Editor's Note: These interviews were conducted in May 2020, prior to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, so it is not included in the discussion of [...]

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Chicago Theater Critics in the Time of COVID – Part 2

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:36:46-05:00July 1st, 2020|Chicago Theater, Interviews, Latest News|

(Pictured L to R: Colin Douglas, Regina Victor, Kerry Reid) (Editor's Note: These interviews were conducted in May 2020, prior to the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, so it is not included in the discussion of [...]

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Director Nick Bowling Talks OSLO, TimeLine Theatre’s Exciting Season

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:27:11-05:00August 30th, 2019|Interviews, Latest News, Shows|

For the first time, TimeLine Theatre takes the stage in the Loop. With a Tony-winning play and a Chicago premiere on the horizon, I asked Associate Artistic Director and director of OSLO Nick Bowling what he's looking forward to this [...]

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Double the Fun: Director Derek Van Barham Talks Multiple BTD Shows

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:24:20-05:00August 2nd, 2019|Interviews, Latest News, Shows|

As anyone working in the industry knows, theater people often juggle more than one show at once. Kokandy's new Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham is doing just that. This summer, he split his time between the larger-than-life HEAD OVER [...]

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EFCT Launches their All-New Education Program!

Colton Davis2021-08-05T13:50:07-05:00July 26th, 2021|Arts Education/Classes, Latest News|

Eclectic Full Contact Theatre is proud to announce theatre performance classes starting in September, taught by EFCT Artistic Director, Andrew Pond. EFCT’s Education Program will feature two classes for children in 3-5th grade and 6-12th grade at the Athenaeum Theatre [...]

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  • curtains

Final Thoughts on 2020 from the BTD

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:43:46-05:00December 21st, 2020|Interviews, Latest News|

(Some responses have been edited for length and clarity. Bold emphasis is BTD’s.) This year started strong with hit shows in the BTD and a very busy Chicago Theatre Week. But unfortunately by mid-March, all live productions in Chicago had [...]

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Guest Blog Post: 2022 Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble Auditions

Colton Davis2022-01-18T18:25:53-05:00January 18th, 2022|Interviews, Latest News|

The Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble is seeking new ensemble members for our 2022 season! In Playback Theatre, actors guide audience members in sharing their own memories and experiences which are then brought to life on stage by the actors using [...]

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Halloween Happenings at the Music Box Theatre

Colton Davis2022-10-06T16:24:23-05:00October 6th, 2022|Latest News|

Are you looking for fun ways to celebrate this Halloween? What better way to celebrate the spooky season than with a scary film at the Music Box Theatre! This October, the Music Box is hosting 31 days of horror with [...]

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Hannah and Christina: A Conversation with Shattered Globe’s Christina Gorman

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:16:36-05:00May 10th, 2019|Interviews, Latest News, Shows|

Our world moves at an alarming rate in the 21st century. With so much happening every minute, it can be hard to argue for looking back. With its current production of Kate Fodor's Hannah and Martin, Shattered Globe Theatre is doing [...]

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How You Can Advocate for the Arts in the Time of COVID

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:40:06-05:00October 5th, 2020|Arts Advocacy, Chicago Theater, Latest News|

Since the weekend of March 13, 2020, staged in Chicago all over the country have closed until further notice, and some, sadly, have closed forever.  The brutal reality is that these closures not only affect the artists and patrons that [...]

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Kids Take Center Stage at Emerald City’s Summer Camp

Melissa Schmitz2021-08-05T13:22:21-05:00July 12th, 2019|Interviews, Latest News|

Summer vacation in Chicago means it's time for camp! Emerald City Theatre continues their support of Chicago's young artists through their summer theatre camp program, running now. I caught up with Education Coordinator Jessica Smoot and Summer Camp Coordinator Tyra [...]

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12Next

Latest News

  • Halloween Happenings at the Music Box Theatre
  • Playwright Profile: Hallie Palladino
  • Walk the Red Carpet at the ChiFilmFest Block Party!
  • Celebrate Women’s History Month by Seeing Women of Soul
  • A Little More About Music Box Chicago’s Highs & Lows Series

Featured Shows

  • Albert Herring
  • Hot Clown Sex
  • Radial Gradient

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Homepage Photo Credits  /  World Class Theater: Shattered Globe Theatre’s CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Photo by Michael Brosilow.  /  Chicago Style Comedy: Jordan Wilson, Brittany Flynn, Mary Catherine Curran, Kyle Ryan, Evan Mills and Adam Levin in The Annoyance Theatre & Bar’s BITE SIZE BROADWAY. Photo by Smart Yeti Creative Agency.  /  All in Lakeview: Daniel Desmarais and Sheldon Brown in About Face Theatre’s Chicago premiere of THIS BITTER EARTH, directed by Mikael Burke. Photo by Liz Lauren.

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