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10 storefront theater shows to see in Chicago this fall

suntimes.com · 11d · first reportShare

Fall always brings a focus on the big regional theaters, and this season delivers. Lookingglass is staging Gregg Ostrin’s “Kowalski,” starring Emmy nominee Johnny Galecki (“Roseanne,” “Big Bang Theory”). Steppenwolf’s scathing drama “Topdog/Underdog,” which won writer Suzan–Lori Parks a Pulitzer, puts Tony nominee Glenn Davis toe-to-toe with Namir Smallwood, who was recently on Broadway in Tracy Letts’ drama “Bug.” But as the Broadway in Chicago remount of Kokandy’s hit musical “Jekyll & Hyde” illustrates (opening Sept. 8), the place to see the next big thing is on the city’s storefront stages. So I decided to focus my fall 2026 list in Off Loop, neighborhood theaters. Here are 10 shows to see this season on Chicago’s smaller and midsize stages. Blood of the Lamb (Chicago premiere) Where: The Den Theatre, presented by Promethean Theatre Ensemble When: Through Oct. 3 What storefront theater lacks in budget, it recoups through creativity. This two-hander, by playwright Arlene Hutton ( “L