Chicago’s First Floor Theater today announced the cast and production team for the Chicago Premiere production of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY, written by reid tang and directed by Tina El Gamal, running May 7 – June 6, 2026 (previews May 7, 9, 10, and 13) on The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets ($10 – $40) available at www.firstfloortheater.com.
Originally developed through Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks Festival, WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY is an experimental dark comedy that explores chaos, alienation, and the absurdities of modern capitalism. Framed as “a catalog of all the possible phone calls that exist,” the play, which is “not about Amazon, not about Jeff Bezos, and certainly not about Elon Musk,” unfolds through surreal encounters and fractured conversations, creating a genre-bending theatrical experience that blends humor, technology, and existential dread.
(L-R) Sahar Dika, Jenn Geiger, and Alice Wu
“WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY sits right at the center of First Floor Theater’s mission,” said Andrew Cutler, Artistic Producer of First Floor Theater. “It’s hilarious, dark, and incisive, and it invites the kind of bold theatrical choices our artists love to make. Presenting the production at Raven Theatre also gives us the chance to introduce our work to a new neighborhood and new audiences in Chicago.”
“I’m always drawn to plays that are ‘out there’ - a little scary and untouchable, wacky and daring,” said Tina El Gamal, director of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY. “reid tang’s bird’s-eye view of humanity’s struggle to stay human is exactly that. It grapples with the costs of innovation and consumption as they threaten to outpace our humanity and asks, just how far are we willing to go to keep up with the next-day deliveries? It’s funny, unsettling, and unexpectedly moving–exactly the kind of work I want to make with this incredible team.”
The cast includes Sahar Dika, Jenn Geiger, and Alice Wu, with understudies Joelle Denhof, Kennedy Frazier, and Maliha Sayed.
The production team is led by director Tina El Gamal and includes Conchita Avitia* (Lighting Designer), Spencer Donovan* (Scenic Designer), Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Casting Director), Olivia Gregorich (Assistant Director & Dramaturg), Samantha Kaufman (Violence & Intimacy Director), Kendyl Meyer* (Stage Manager), Lo Ramos (Props Designer), Jae Robinson (Sound Designer), and Nathan Rohrer (Costume Designer)
* Denotes First Floor Theater Company Member
First Floor Theater’s Chicago premiere of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY runs May 7 – June 6, 2026, with previews May 7, 9, 10, and 13. Performances are held Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark St. Tickets range from $10 – $40. To purchase tickets, visit www.firstfloortheater.com.
FACT SHEET:
Title: WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY
Written By: reid tang
Directed By: Tina El Gamal
Cast: Sahar Dika, Jenn Geiger, and Alice Wu, with understudies Joelle Denhof, Kennedy Frazier, and Maliha Sayed
Production Team: Conchita Avitia* (Lighting Designer), Spencer Donovan* (Scenic Designer), Adelina Feldman-Schultz (Casting Director), Olivia Gregorich (Assistant Director & Dramaturg), Samantha Kaufman (Violence & Intimacy Director), Kendyl Meyer* (Stage Manager), Lo Ramos (Props Designer), Jae Robinson (Sound Designer), and Nathan Rohrer (Costume Designer)
*Denotes First Floor Theater Company Member
Dates: May 7 – June 6, 2026 (Previews May 7, 9, 10, 13)
Press Opening: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Schedule: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.
Run Time: 90 minutes
Location: The Schwartz Stage at Raven Theatre (6157 N. Clark St., Chicago)
Tickets: General Admission: $10 - $40
Limited number of $10 access tickets available for all public performances.
Box Office: https://www.firstfloortheater.com
ABOUT reid tang
reid tang (Playwright) writes plays and things shaped like plays. Their work includes ISABEL (NAATCO), DEBT (co-written w/ Adrian Einspanier, developed with Pride Plays, New York Stage and Film & Breaking the Binary Theatre); WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY (Clubbed Thumb Summerworks); FUTURE WIFE (Relentless Award Honorable Mention, Goethe-Institut Beijing, Theatertreffen Stückemarkt); and PARTY IN A GOOGLE SHEET (New Georges). They’re under commission with Breaking the Binary Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop, and a past recipient of the Sundance Institute Interdisciplinary Program Grant. Currently, they’re a resident playwright at New Dramatists, and have been part of Ars Nova's Play Group, the New Georges Jam, Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writers' Group, and NYTW’s 2050 Fellowship. They grew up in Singapore and presently live in Brooklyn, NY. They received their MFA from the New School of Drama. www.reidtang.com
ABOUT TINA EL GAMAL
Tina El Gamal (Director) is a Chicago-based actor, director, and producer. They have worked at theatres across the country, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare, Portland Opera, Silk Road Cultural Center, Steep Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Farmers Alley, and more. Tina was featured in Newcity Mag's Players 50 2022. They hold a BFA in Acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. www.tinaelgamal.com
ABOUT SAHAR DIKA
Sahar Dika is a Chicago-based actor and writer. She is thrilled to be making her First Floor debut! Other Chicago readings and productions include BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (U/S), SHARON, and PRETTY SHAHID (A Red Orchid Theatre); WISH YOU WERE HERE (Remy Bumppo; U/S); MODERN WOMEN and NEST (The Story Theatre); CRUSHED (The Understudy); HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (Steep); MODERN WOMEN and LAYLIANA (Goodman Theatre); DOUG and PRETTY SHAHID (Jackalope Theatre Company); MOSQUE4MOSQUE (Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Scout); VENUS IN FUR (Circle Theatre; U/S) and MOSQUE ALERT (Silk Road Rising). Television and film credits include Chicago Fire, Emperor Of Ocean Park, Christmas With Felicity, Monuments, Good Years, and Happy Hour. She is represented by DDO Artists Agency and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
ABOUT JENN GEIGER
Jenn Geiger is an actor and artist. She's recently performed in Chicago in ANTIGONICK and GHOST FETUS at Trap Door Theatre, Runaways Lab Theater, and Rhino Fest. Regional credits include A CHRISTMAS CAROL and THE MANY DEATHS OF NATHAN STUBBLEFIELD (Actors Theatre of Louisville). International credits include MEDUSA (Global Hive Laboratories at Steppenwolf LookOut and Pleasance Theatre London). Jenn is an ensemble member at Avalanche Theatre and an alum of the Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville and Ohio State University.
ABOUT ALICE WU
Alice Wu can't wait to share WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY with audiences. Recent Chicago credits include VEAL, REVOLUTION (u/s) (A Red Orchid Theatre); THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (Remy Bumppo); THE PETS (Bramble Theatre); TIME IS A COLOR AND THE COLOR IS BLUE (Avalanche Theatre); A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Midsommer Flight); and ARABIA, ARABIA! (The Plagiarists). Additional select regional credits include THE MANY DEATHS OF NATHAN STUBBLEFIELD (Humana Festival) and CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION (u/s) (Actors Theatre of Louisville). TV and film credits include Chicago Fire, Empire, Hive Wheelhouse, and Tears to a Glass Eye. Alice received their BFA at NDSU and the Professional Training Company acting apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Alice is a company member with Avalanche Theatre and Red Theatre and is represented by DDO Artists Agency.
ABOUT FIRST FLOOR THEATER
Founded in 2012, First Floor Theater is known for pairing cutting-edge scripts with innovative design. As a vanguard for what’s next in Chicago theater, FFT aims to pave a new path for American theater, centering equity, radical interrogation, and unapologetic live performance that challenges the status quo. Shortly after its inaugural season, FFT was named “Best New Theater Company” by the Chicago Reader and has since received numerous Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, along with national recognition, including the 2018 Francesca Primus Prize from ATCA. Notable productions include Hooded, or Being Black For Dummies; Mike Pence Sex Dream; Peerless; Plano; Pro-Am; and One Party Consent. Continuing its commitment to new work, in 2020 FFT launched The Blueprint Commission, made possible by Michael and Mona Heath, a program that has produced new plays by artists such as Ariel Zetina, Omer Abbas Salem, and Gloria Imseih Petrelli. First Floor Theater is in residence at the Raven Theatre.