About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 2025-26 season. Building on the company’s history of developing and launching new plays that advance LGBTQ+ equity, the season ahead features new work from Chicago-based playwrights including newly commissioned short plays as part of a national initiative, the extension of a successful original touring show, and the world premiere of a full-length play.
"Vibrant collaborations and partnerships are a cornerstone of our legacy and our ongoing impact,” states Megan Carney, Artistic Director of About Face Theatre. “We are thrilled to introduce a season featuring remarkable new plays coming to life in different venues around the city. The road ahead reflects our commitment to being a home for visionary, defiant, and joyful artists and supporters who are daring to reflect and challenge the times."
Overview of the Season
Up first in September, About Face Theater, Silk Road Cultural Center, and Northeastern Illinois University are partnering to present the first Chicago staged reading of the Say Gay Plays project including premieres of four new short plays on the theme of Queer Joy and Activism. This initiative originated at New York City's Voyage Theater Company aimed at countering harmful anti-LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric. This special event is Included in Goodman Theatre’s 100 Free Acts of Theatre.
In March, About Face presents the World Premiere of “Modern Gentleman,” written by Preston Max Allen and directed by Landree Fleming. This tender, romantic, and disarming new play introduces 28-year-old Adam navigating the world of dating for the first time since coming out as a trans man. About Face is excited to present this play at Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, the first time in the venue. The About Face collaboration with Allen builds upon another landmark for the playwright whose new work, Caroline is receiving its world premiere this fall at MCC Theatre in New York under the direction of David Cromer.
Throughout the season, About Face has announced an extension of its touring show, “Life Out Loud: Voices of Pride”. This charming, funny, and interactive play invites audiences of all ages into an honest, surprising, and truthful look at LGBTQ+ history. Building on the show’s momentum, this play will be produced around the region throughout the next season.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
SAY GAY PLAYS
Curated and produced by About Face Theatre and Silk Road Cultural Center
Presented at Northeastern Illinois University’s historic Carruthers Center
Say Gay Plays is an extension of an initiative of New York City's Voyage Theater Company and part of Goodman Theatre’s Free Acts of Theatre sponsored by DCASE
Saturday, September 20 2PM staged reading followed by a reception
Northeastern Illinois University’s Carruthers Center, 700 E Oakwood Blvd in Chicago
Tickets are free and reservations are strongly encouraged due to limited seating. Registration information is available at www.aboutfacetheatre.com.
About Face and Silk Road Cultural Center are thrilled to announce four Chicago-based playwrights who received commissions to develop short plays for the Say Gay Plays collection. Hannah li-Epstein (AFT) Emilio Williams (AFT), Esho Rasho (Silk Road), and Lani Montreal (Silk Road).
Jamil Khoury, Silk Road Cultural Center's Founding Executive Artistic Director stated, “In an era of state censorship, word policing, and criminalized identities, "Say Gay Plays" is a perfect antidote. A bold, unapologetic short plays initiative developed by NYC's Voyage Theater that champions Queer joy, collective resilience, and personal triumph. It is an honor and privilege to partner with About Face Theatre and Northeastern Illinois University to bring to life stories that offer hope and healing in turbulent times. Florida's Governor and state legislature be damned. We at Silk Road Cultural Center most definitely say gay!”
MODERN GENTLEMAN
Written by Preston Max Allen
Directed by Landree Fleming
March 19 – April 18, 2026
Press opening: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 7:00pm
Performances will take place at the Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St in Chicago
Thurs & Fri at 7:30pm, Sat at 3:00pm & 7:30pm, Sun at 3:00pm
Please note: There is no matinee on Saturday, March 21, 2026 or Sunday, April 5, 2026
Pay-what-you-can tickets ($5-$45) go on sale December 1, 2025.
About Modern Gentleman
After his partner of five years abruptly ends their relationship, 28-year-old Adam must navigate the world of dating for the first time since coming out as a trans man. But Adam’s hopes for a fresh start are quickly derailed when a chaotic new girlfriend, the return of his ex, and long-ignored personal demons force him to finally confront his complicated relationship to his own identity.
Playwright Preston Max Allen, states, "About Face has always been such an iconic theater for LGBTQ storytelling, and it’s been a longtime dream of mine to collaborate with this exciting, thoughtful, risk-taking team. To be entirely surrounded and supported by artists in and close to my community is such a special, rare experience, and I can’t wait for us to fully realize this piece that celebrates and interrogates nuances of community and identity that are very close to my heart."
LIFE OUT LOUD: VOICES OF PRIDE
Written and Directed by Dionne Addai, with the Life Out Loud Ensemble and Theatrical Consultation from Lexi Saunders, including contributed pieces from Zahra Baker and Aimy Tien.
This touring production can be booked through consultation with the About Face Theatre staff. More information is online at https://aboutfacetheatre.com/education/
About Life Out Loud: Voices of Pride
Three friends gather for a gab session. One of them reveals a magical journal from the thrift store that sparks a time travelling adventure. Along the way, they discover some surprising stories from history's torn-out pages, tumble into an 80’s dance party, and learn the true power of friendship. Life Out Loud is- a reckoning, a ritual, a reminder that you belong.
Director and Co-writer Dionne Addai said, “Life Out Loud has really blossomed this year - it's a play built off stories from queer folks’ everyday questions about how to survive in this difficult world. We’ve performed in local parks and school theatres and community spaces. The people who’ve seen it so far have raved about it, calling it an important story that highlights reasons the special lens queer people see the world through. We’re excited to bring the show back for a full season in hopes it continues to empower people of all ages to remember the magic in their unique perspective.”
ARTIST AND ORGANIZATION BIOS
DIONNE ADDAI (they/she) is a performer, writer, director, and teaching artist local to Chicago. Dionne is a passionate advocate for reproductive rights, racial justice, and free comprehensive sex education. Their artistic practice centers on educating to encourage sociopolitical action and mutual aid. As a performer, Dionne has multiple on-camera credits and has worked with over 20 renowned theatre companies (Merrimack Repertory, Raven Theatre, Filament Theatre; etc). Dionne is elated to have directed and co-written Life OUT Loud for About Face Theatre. She co-hosts a live-recorded podcast called Mad Liberation and releases music under the stage name, Strawberry Gelato.
PRESTON MAX ALLEN (he/him) is a Chicago-based playwright, lyricist, and composer whose musicals include 2019 Off-Broadway debut We Are the Tigers (album streaming, available through Broadway Licensing); Never Better (Theo Ubique, developmental premiere); Agent 355 (dramaturgy/co-book by Jessica Kahkoska, Marion Fellowship Award Winner); Carrie 2: The Rage, An Unauthorized Musical Parody (Underscore); and Krisis Kids Wilderness Adventure Camp (Village Theatre Kidstage Commission). Plays include Caroline (MCC, World Premiere Fall 2025); Nuclear (Manhattan Theatre Club Sloan Initiative commission); and Storytime (Lucille Lortel micro commission). Preston is a member of the Writers Guild of America East, Ars Nova Play Group (2019 - 2021), 2023 Jonathan Larson Grant Honorable Mention recipient, and above all, proud father to his cat, Hero. @prestonmaxallen
MEGAN CARNEY (she/her) Artistic Director of About Face Theatre, is a producer, director, and playwright whose theatrical work has premiered in Chicago, New York, and on regional tours. She also enjoys writing essays about theatre and social impact and devising new plays to amplify and support expressed needs from her community organizing efforts. Megan is a co-founder of About Face Youth Theatre and former director of the Gender and Sexuality Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she created cultural programming and worked to advance affirming LGBTQ+ policies and practices throughout university systems. Her extensive community work includes the Chicago Foundation for Women’s LGBT Giving Council and the Chicago Restroom Access Project. She has been recognized with numerous theatre industry awards, the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, and an APA Presidential Citation, Megan is also an inductee into Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame. She holds an MFA in Theatre Arts with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue from Virginia Tech.
HANNAH II-EPSTEIN (she/her) is a Native Hawaiian creative writer and award-winning dramatist born and raised on the North Shore of ʻOahu. She holds an MFA from Northwestern University and is Artistic Director of Nothing Without a Company and a founding member of BearCat Productions. A resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and 50th season writer at Kumu Kahua Theatre, Hannah also serves on the board of Aloha Center Chicago and is a member of the Ke Aliʻi Victoria Kaʻiulani Hawaiian Civic Club and Tree Moss Hawaiʻi. She works as a freelance dramaturge and cultural specialist supporting Native Hawaiian and Hawaiʻi-based works. Hannah co-curated Chicago’s Legacy Hula exhibit at The Field Museum (closing Oct. 2025) and was a panelist/playwright at the inaugural APIDA Arts Festival in Chicago. She is currently a cohort member of the Native Hawaiian Storytelling Program, created by Native Hawaiian Philanthropy, Kū-A-Kanaka LLC, EA Ecoversity, and Michael Andres Palmieri.
LANDREE FLEMING (she/her) believes passionately in theatre as a vehicle for social justice and change—as well as an opportunity to have a rockin’ good time. She is thrilled to return to this incredible theatre after previously directing the staged reading of Why Are Graham Crackers Hard? As part of their Re/Generation Studios reading and workshop series. Landree is also excited to continue collaborating with the brilliant Preston Max Allen, having recently directed his poignant and powerful piece Never Better at Theo Ubique. Additional directing credits include Little Shop, Fun Home (Jeff Nom - Best Director, co-directed with Jim Corti) (Paramount Theatre); Snow Queen (Marriott Theatre), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Once Upon a Mattress (Jeff Nom - Best Director, Theo Ubique); 9 to 5: The Musical (Metropolis Theatre), and Assassins (North Central College). As an actor, she has performed at the Paramount Theatre, American Theater Company, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre, Griffin Theatre, and Theatre at the Center. She stars in the Dungeons & Dragons TV show Encounter Party from Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, and eOne, currently streaming on Plex, Freevee, and Roku, an adaptation of her podcast with the same name. She has appeared on Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. She’s filled with endless gratitude to work on this phenomenal play with these incredible people.
MALIK GILANI, Founding Executive Director, Silk Road Cultural Center, is nationally recognized for his leadership in the arts and education sectors. He has innovated programs that expand cultural representation and artistic access. Malik conceived of SRCC’s model for creating online video plays, which are now being viewed around the world. He also conceived of, developed, and piloted our two arts education programs, Myths to Drama and EPIC (Empathic Playwriting Intensive Course), and spearheaded their growth from elementary, middle, and high school classrooms to also include multi-generational and community-based learning for immigrants and refugees. He is the recipient of the Chicago Community Trust Fellowship Award, the Changing Worlds Award, and the Leader for a New Chicago Award, among others. In the fall of 2019, Malik suffered a stroke, and is currently living with aphasia (a language disorder) and apraxia of speech (a speech disorder). As he continues to recover, Malik is developing a play titled The Art of Aphasia.
JAMIL KHOURY, Founding Executive Artistic Director, Silk Road Cultural Center, is a producer, essayist, podcaster, playwright, and filmmaker. His passion for promoting cultural interchange and the stories of Silk Road peoples dovetail seamlessly with his overseas living experiences and “past life” as an international relocations consultant. Jamil’s art focuses on Middle Eastern themes and questions of diaspora. He is particularly interested in the intersections of culture, national identity, religion, and belonging. A noted artist and activist, Jamil is the recipient of numerous awards, including: The University of Chicago Diversity Leadership Alumni Award, the Community Leader Award from the Association for Asian American Studies, the Kathryn V. Lamkey Award from Actor’s Equity Association, the ChangeMaker Award from South Asian Americans Leading Together, the 3Arts Artist Award for Playwriting, and the After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work (Precious Stones). Committed to collaborative artmaking, Jamil has been an Artist-in-Residence at New Orleans’ Joan Mitchell Center and Playwright-in-Residence at Tufts University, Benedictine University, North Central College, Valparaiso University, and Knox College. His work has been translated from English into Arabic, German, and Russian, and enjoyed by audiences in Canada, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, Portugal, Russia, the UK, the US, and beyond.
JAMIE MEUN (he/they) thrives in a career centered around the vibrant world of LGBTQ+ theatre and nightlife. This past year, he joined About Face Theatre as its Managing Director, supporting our community through securing funding, financial storytelling, and equity. His work at AFT is driven by their mission of uplifting queer voices through theatre, collaboration and joy. As a drag performer and event producer in Chicago’s North Halsted and Uptown, he has honed skills in creating sustainable and unique events that celebrate queer joy. His work includes organizing Dim Sum & Drag, developing drag showcases for Lollapalooza, and performing with Willow Pill's on her national tour, God's Child. Performing under the drag persona, Aunty Chan, he’s been a part of groundbreaking queer productions this year, including The Fly Honey’s, The Bible at The Cornservatory, and Ran Thru at The High Hall.
LANI MONTREAL (she/her) writes to create her home in the diaspora. She is a queer feminist Filipina writer, performer, educator, and community activist based in Chicago. Lani has worked as a playwright and resident artist with CIRCA-Pintig, Chicago Danztheatre, and Free Street Theatre. Her play Panther in the Sky, which premiered at Chicago Danztheatre in May 2024, was described by Buzz Stage Theater’s Wesley David as "a play that challenges us to confront the harsh realities of gun violence while inspiring us to act and make a difference in the world.” Her solo show Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother about living in the shadow of her celebrity mother in the Philippines premiered in June 2024 as part of Links Hall’s New Works Festival. It was also featured at Artemisia Theatre's #WeWomen Festival in November 2024. Lani has since taken the show to Milan, Los Angeles, Toronto, and this August, it will be in San Francisco as part of Playground’s Free Play Festival. Montreal is a 2-time 3Arts Residency Awardee (2009 and 2016), 2017 alumna of the VONA Writers of Color Workshop, and 2024 Links Hall Co-MISSION Artist Fellow. She was also a semi-finalist for the Dramatist Guild 2023 Fellowship, and voted 1st runner up for Best Playwright in Chicago Reader’s 2024 Best of Chicago. (filingap.com)
ESHO RASHO (he/him) is a first-generation Assyrian-American actor & writer who graduated with a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. His solo play, Dummy in Diaspora, which he wrote and performed, made its UK Premiere at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, earning 4 stars from The Scotsman, Broadway Baby, ThreeWeeks, and Culture Fix. The show then made its U.S. Premiere at Jackalope Theatre Company in Chicago. Chris Jones of The Chicago Tribune gave the U.S. premiere 3 (out of 4) stars, praising it as "authentic work about the complexities about identity". Esho was also featured in Playbill and The Chicago Reader for this work.
EMILIO WILLIAMS (he/him) is a bilingual Spanish/English, award-winning non-fiction writer, playwright, translator, and educator. His writing and scholarship explore experimental dialogues with literary traditions. ¡Bernarda!, Emilio’s latest play, is a bilingual trans-adaption of Federico García Lorca’s classic tragedy. It was co-presented by Teatro Vista and Steppenwolf 1700 in 2023 and produced by Teatro Audaz in 2024. His other plays have been produced in Argentina, Estonia, France, Ireland, México, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Washington DC. He teaches at The Theater School of DePaul University and the Department of English at Dominican University in Chicago. Emilio holds a BA in Film and Video and an MFA in Writing. He is a proud board member of The Physical Theater Festival in Chicago.
ABOUT FACE THEATRE advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. Since our founding in 1995, we’ve been a national leader honoring the persistence and joy of queer identities while shining a spotlight on the social inequalities impacting LGBTQIA+ people. Learn more at aboutfacetheatre.com.
GOODMAN THEATRE 100 Free Acts of Theater initiative is an epic citywide year-long event that activates all 50 wards of Chicago. Designed as a celebration of the artistic fabric of our city during our Centennial Season, The Goodman is proud to partner with local organizations to amplify existing programming and collaborate on new efforts. From artistic performances to special events to community engagement offerings, these events highlight the richness of Chicago’s cultural landscape and honor the communities that have inspired and supported us over the past 100 years. All 100 acts are offered FREE, with participation open to Chicagoans of all ages and backgrounds.
THE JACOB H. CARRUTHERS CENTER FOR INNER CITY STUDIES (CCIS) demonstrates Northeastern Illinois University’s urban tradition of education, research and service. The Carruthers Center offers an undergraduate and graduate degree in Urban Community Studies to prepare students to act upon the expressed interests of the residents of Chicago and to participate fully in the richness of the African and African-American cultures. Our curriculum re-examines every research issue, assumption and question from an African-centered perspective. CCICS aims to build research methodologies among its students to advance their career paths.
RAVEN THEATRE is proud to be a cultural cornerstone of Chicago’s north side, where its artistic excellence is known among theatergoers and artists alike. Long acclaimed for its revivals of classic plays, Raven also gives voice to emerging playwrights whose work will help to shape the theatrical canon for years to come. The theater engages the next generation of artists and community leaders through its robust education program. Raven works with local elected officials, businesses, and community development organizations to continually offer programs that meet the needs of its neighbors, allowing the theater to remain a destination for theatre and arts education and an artistic home for all who need one. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85-seat Johnson Stage and its 56-seat Schwartz Stage.
SILK ROAD CULTURAL CENTER is a Chicago-based interdisciplinary arts organization rooted in the modern communities of the historic Silk Roads, including our diaspora communities. We embrace the arts as a catalyst for connecting people, places, histories, and futures.
VOYAGE THEATRE presents new and unheralded plays and playwrights from around the world, creating opportunities for collaboration between theater-makers of diverse cultures and disciplines. We serve our local community in New York City through professional productions, educational programming, internships, and discounted tickets for students and seniors. We present plays in multiple languages, and work in partnership with other non-profit organizations to broaden perspectives and build greater cultural equity across communities.