Theater openings in October
Indiana
October 1st, 7:00 pm, Visiting Mr. Green, Footlight Players, Footlight Theatre, 1705 Franklin Street, Michigan City. $12. FYI www.footlight.org
October 2nd, 7:30 pm, Arsenic and Old Lace, Chicago Street Theatre, 156 W. Chicago Street, Valparaiso. FYI (219) 464-1636 or www.chicagostreet.org
October 2nd, 8:00 pm, Rock of Ages, Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso. FYI (219) 548-9137 or https://www.memorialoperahouse.com/calendar.aspx?CID=14
October 9th, 7:30 pm, Hammond Community Theatre presents The Ghost in the Meadow, Beatniks on Conkey, 418 Conkey Street, Hammond. $20, cash only at the door. FYI (219) 852-0848 or https://hammondcommunitytheatre.org/ghost.html
October 9th, 7:30 pm ET, The Lights Are On, The Acting Ensemble, Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E. Mishawaka Avenue, Mishawaka. FYI www.actingensemble.com.
October 16th, 7:30 pm, SumMurder Camp, M&M Productions, Center Stage Studio Theatre, 227 Center Street, Hobart. FYI (219) 777-0698 or https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/m-and-m-productions/6a189897ebf96210601360aa
**** October 23rd, 24th, 25th, Wagon Wheel Junior presents Sleepy Hollow the Musical, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, 2515 E. Center Street, Warsaw, IN $16. FYI (574) 267-8041 or wagonwheelcenter.org
Illinois
October 2nd, 7:30 pm, Brightside Theatre presents The Addams Family Musical, The Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S. Ellsworth, Naperville. $37, $32 Seniors/Students. Tickets on sale July 1st. FYI (630) 447-TIXS (8497) or www.BrightSidetheatre.com
October 3rd, Curious Theatre Branch presents Make Out the Words, 37th annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Pay-What-You-Can, suggested price $25. FYI Rhinofest.com.
October 4th, 1:00 pm, World Premiere, Sugar Plum Fairy, P.I., Kids Series, Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood, Chicago. FYI (773) 761-4477 or www.lifelinetheatre.com
October 5th, 7:00 pm, World Premiere, Dead Girl’s Quinceañera, Owen Theatre, Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago. FYI (312) 443-3800 or www.goodmantheatre.org.
October 7th, Return of Million Dollar Quartet, Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G,, Aurora. FYI (630) 896-6666 or www.paramountaurora.com.
October 8th, 7:30 pm, Shattered Globe Theatre presents Midwest Premiere, Vladimir, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. Tickets start at $55. FYI (773) 975-8150 or SGTheatre.org
October 9th, 7:00 pm, Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville, Music Theater Works, North Theater, North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. FYI (847) 673-6300 or www.musictheaterworks.com
October 9th, Timed entries, Rough House Puppet Arts presents House of the Exquisite Corpse VI: LULLABIES, Steppenwolf Theatre’s Merle Reskin Space, 1624 N. Halsted, Chicago. Recommended for age 12 & over. Sliding scale, Pay What You Can suggested prices are $22 to $47. FYI roughhousetheater.com/tickets.
October 9th, 7:30 pm, Memphis, The Drama Group, 330 202nd Street Chicago Heights. FYI (708) 755-3444 or https://dg.booktix.com/
October 10th, 7:30 pm, Don Giovanni, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. FYI lyricopera.org/newseason
October 14th, 7:00 pm, Waitress, James N. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph Street, Chicago. FYI FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
October 14th, 7:30 pm, A Strange Loop. In a co-production with About Face Theatre, Raven Theatre Company, 6157 N. Clark St., Chicago. FYI www.raventheatre.com.
October 15th, 8:00 pm, Jonathan James Productions presents, World Premiere, The Years Between Us, The Lodge Performing Arts Center, 18 Villa Ct, Elgin. $20, Students/Seniors $15. FYI https://ticketstripe.com/yearsbetweenus
October 16th, 7:30 pm, Radical Futures, Factory Theatre, 1623 W. Howard Street, Chicago. $30. FYI TheFactoryTheater.com.
October 16th, 7:30 pm, Tin Drum Theatre Company presents A Dark Wood, Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. $25. FYI TinDrumTheatre.com
October 17th, 3:00 pm, 25th Anniversary Tour, Menopause The Musical®, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd, Aurora. $40-$70. FYI (630) 896-6666 or ParamountAurora.com
October 17th, 8:00 pm, Babes with Blades presents King Lear, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. FYI BabesWithBlades.org.
October 18th, 2:00 pm, Repertory Series, The Winter's Tale, The Jentes Family Courtyard Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand, Chicago. FYI (312) 595-5600 or www.chicagoshakes.com.
October 18th, 6:00 pm, Gift Theatre presents the World Premiere, Hayward, Steppenwolf's 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted, Chicago. $45-$50, will be available this summer through the Steppenwolf box office.
October 19th, 5:00 pm, The League of Chicago Theatres annual benefit, 2026 Spotlight Gala: Unmask the Night, Embrace the Drama, City Hall – Recess, 838 W. Kinzie St., Chicago. $350 per person. FYI (312) 554-8900 or https://leagueofchicagotheatres.org/gala/
October 19th, 7:00 pm, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company presents Mud Row, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. FYI https://www.remybumppo.org/box-office/subscription-packages-prices/
October 23rd, 7:00 pm, Omar, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. FYI lyricopera.org/newseason
October 23rd, 7:00 pm, The Book of Mormon, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph Street, Chicago. FYI FYI (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
October 24th, 7:30 pm, August Wilson's King Hedley II, City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church. $40. FYI (773) 293-3682 or t www.citylit.org
October 25th, 3:00 pm, Collaboraction Theatre Company presents Mud Life, House of Belonging, Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave, Chicago. $15-$50. FYI collaboraction.org.
**** October 26th, 9:30 or 11:30 am, Carmela Full of Wishes, Chicago Children's Theatre, 110 S. Racine, Chicago. Ideal for ages 6 & up. FYI (312) 374-8835 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org
October 26th, 7:00 pm, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s 30th Anniversary Season continues with "Exploring The In Between: A Conversation About Mid-Sized Theatres in Chicago," Theater One, Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. $35. FYI (773) 975-8150 or TheaterWit.org
October 30th, 7:30 pm, The Royale, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. FYI (847) 242-6000 or www.writerstheatre.org.
October 30th, 7:30 pm, Manual Cinema's Frankenstein, Studebaker Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan, Chicago. Tickets start at $31. FYI (312) 753-3210 or www.fineartsbuilding.com
Wisconsin
October 6th, 8:00 pm, Milwaukee Rep presents Instructions for a Séance, Herro-Stacke Studio Theater, Associated Bank Theater Center. Building, 108 E Wells St, Milwaukee, WI. FYI (414) 224-9490 or www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
Michigan
October 8th, School of Music, Theatre & Dance presents Come from Away, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, Michigan League Building, University of Michigan, 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI $34-$40. FYI https://tickets.smtd.umich.edu/6965
Elsewhere
International
**** Family Friendly