Oil Lamp Theater announces today the final production in its 2026 season,the classic thriller with a modern twist, Dial M for Murder. The final production in Oil Lamp’s 2026 season will run October 2 – November 1, 2026 and joins the previously announced productions that includes a comedy of campaign chaos, The Outsider, January 23 - February 22, 2026, followed by a wild play with zero filter, Poor Behavior, April 10 - May 10, 2026, then the latest Broadway musical from Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years, June 5 - July 5, 2026, and the season continues with a musical audiences will fall in love with, I Love You Because, August 14 - September 13, 2026. All performances take place at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now. For more information on the new season, current productions and the recently launched fundraising campaign, Light the Way, go to OilLampTheater.org.
“Our 2026 season is complete with the addition of this new adaptation of Dial M for Murder. Our intimate venue, where the audience sits just feet from the action, adds another dimension to this thriller, ” said Artistic Director Elizabeth Mazur Levin. “It’s a classic where every turn will keep audiences guessing."
The 2026 Oil Lamp Theater season includes:
THE OUTSIDER
January 23 – February 22
By Paul Slade Smith
Directed by Scott Westerman
Preview Performances: Friday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 24 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances on Wednesday January 28 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, February 11 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday February 18 at 7:30 p.m.
When the sitting governor gets kicked out of office for, you guessed it, corruption, it’s time for someone new to take the throne… uh...the role. And the polls are in, it's time for an outsider. Enter bumbling brainiac Ned Newley. With bright ideas and hope in his eyes, he’s the perfect candidate - on paper. It will take a team of dedicated pollsters, campaign coordinators and more notecards than one can count, to turn him into a poised politician who can expertly avoid questions like it's his job. This knee-slappingly hilarious play will have the audience reaching across the aisle to share a laugh. Audiences may even find a renewed sense of hope for politics…okay maybe not… but they'll at least enjoy an absolutely hysterical and highly entertaining break from the news.
POOR BEHAVIOR
April 10 – May 10, 2026
By Theresa Rebeck
Directed by Lauren Katz
Preview Performances: Friday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 11 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, April 15 at 11 a.m and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday April 29 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday May 6 at 7:30 p.m.
A visit from old friends takes an unexpected turn when a bombshell accusation throws niceties out the window. Hospitality turns to havoc. Sanity shatters into shambles. Manners take a backseat as two couples are pushed to their limits during a weekend in the country. Will they be able to pick up the pieces over wine and muffins or will their poor behavior leave them irrevocably broken? Find out in this sharp-witted play by acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck.
THE LAST 5 YEARS
June 5 – July 5, 2026
Book, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Christina Ramirez
Preview performances: Friday, June 5 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday June 6 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday June 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday July 1 at 7:30 p.m. There are no performances on Saturday July 4.
Straight from Broadway, Jason Robert Brown’s musical masterpiece The Last Five Years comes to Oil Lamp Theater. This widely beloved show takes audiences on the romantic rollercoaster of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in and out of love over the last five years. Told from each individual’s perspective – one chronologically and one backwards – audiences will be swept into the unique storytelling and find an anti-love story full of humor and heart. Hailed as a powerful and intimate production, this Drama Desk Award-winner for Outstanding Music is not to be missed.
I LOVE YOU BECAUSE
August 14 – September 13, 2026
Book and Lyrics by Ryan Cunningham
Music by Joshua Salzman
Directed by Scott Shallenbarger
Preview Performances: Friday, Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Aug. 15 at 3 p.m .
Opening Night: Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday September 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; and Wednesday September 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Modern dating is a mess. Sometimes to find Mr. Right you need to find Mr. Wrong even if that means seeing someone stuck on their ex, awkward encounters of the intimate kind and lots of horrible coffee dates. Opposites attract in this feel-good musical that will transport audiences into the heart of your favorite guilty pleasure rom-com. Created by acclaimed musical team Ryan Cunningham and Joshua Salzman and inspired by Jane Austen’s gold-standard romance novel “Pride and Prejudice,” this delightful musical will make you fall head over heels.
DIAL M FOR MURDER
October 2 – November 1, 2026
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott
Directed by Daniel King
Preview Performances: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday Oct. 3 at 3 p.m.
Opening Night: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional Wednesday performances Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday Oct. 21 at 11:00 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Alfred Hitchcock’s adored, chilling thriller gets a modern twist that no one will see coming. A murderous misstep begins a high-stakes hunt for the real criminal as time is quickly running out. This captivating, heart-racing play leaves audiences on the edge of their seats while the mystery of the year unravels before their eyes. Will the clues unlock the right person, or will an innocent victim pay the price? The suspense is to die for…
ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER
Oil Lamp Theater is a professional nonprofit performing arts organization in Glenview, Illinois, welcoming over 10,000 patrons annually from more than 225 communities—41% from Glenview and others from across the North Shore and Chicago. Since establishing its intimate 60-seat home in downtown Glenview in 2012, Oil Lamp has grown into a cultural beacon, earning recognition as “Best Live Theatre in the North Shore” for four consecutive years.
With more than 70 productions to date, Oil Lamp is known for its dynamic Mainstage season, special events and its resilience during the pandemic, when it innovated with drive-in performances and outdoor productions. Today, the theatre continues to foster connection, broaden horizons and illuminate the human condition through professional theater and year-round programming.
In addition to its productions, Oil Lamp recently expanded with the SPARK CENTER, which offers arts education for all ages with a focus on youth. These process-driven classes inspire a lifelong love of the arts while equipping students with creativity, confidence and critical life skills.
In September, Oil Lamp launched Light The Way, a campaign that will transform Oil Lamp Theater — growing its audience, expanding its programs, strengthening its foundation and securing a lasting home in Glenview while staying true to the intimate, community-centered spirit of Oil Lamp. This new home will have a larger, more accessible venue that expands seating from 60 to 143, improves sightlines and comfort and adds flexible staging and technical capacity. The next chapter welcomes more people to experience the magic of live theater—while preserving the intimacy and warmth that define Oil Lamp in downtown Glenview. Interested community members are invited to learn more by reaching out to the theater and staying tuned as additional news is shared in the near future. For information or to support the campaign go to OilLampTheater.org/Light-the-Way or reach out to Oil Lamp at light-the-way@oillamptheater.org.
