Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Rosa Joshi
March 12 – October 31, 2027
Angus Bowmer Theatre
“The time is out of joint…”
The king of Denmark is dead, and his son, Prince Hamlet, is deep in grief. But when the king’s ghost appears, demanding Hamlet avenge his murder with another murder, the young prince dives into a dangerous tangle of deception and conspiracies as he grapples with an impossible moral dilemma that threatens to destroy him and those he loves. A quintessential story of vengeance, madness, and mortality featuring some of Shakespeare’s most rivetingly transcendent language, and directed by OSF Associate Artistic Director Rosa Joshi,
Hamlet is perfect for Shakespeare fans, newcomers, and students.
*****
A Doll’s House
By Henrik Ibsen
A New Version by Amy Herzog
Directed by Juliette Carrillo
March 13 – October 30, 2027
Angus Bowmer Theatre
“Now I have to go find out if society is right or if I am.”
Nora Helmer is a woman with a secret. Mother to three young children and wife to career-minded Torvald, Nora lives in seemingly domestic bliss—which is shattered when a man who secretly lent her money reappears and threatens to expose her. The threat leads Torvald’s “little bird” into a darker web of lies, but one that ultimately leads to a journey of self-discovery that remains fiercely and hauntingly relevant for women today. A razor-sharp and urgent version of Henrik Ibsen’s classic from award-winning playwright Amy Herzog, directed by Juliette Carrillo (
Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles).
A Doll’s House (Herzog) is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
*****
A Loco-Motive For Murder
By Mark Bedard and John Tufts
Directed by Rob Melrose
A World Premiere in Association with Alley Theatre
March 14 – July 11, 2027
Angus Bowmer Theatre
Dial M for Marx Brothers
When newspaper tycoon Edmund Blaublüt turns up dead on a swanky European train, the stage is set for murder … and hilarity! That’s right, the team that brought you Animal Crackers,
The Cocoanuts, and
It’s Christmas, Carol! are back again with this seriously unhinged send-up of classic murder mysteries, train movies, trains, mysteries, and… Well, don’t worry—with a cast of characters like Baroness Von Reichendamen and detective Hugo M. Onyatail (and a sneaky guy with the world’s most crowded trenchcoat), the jokes will be flying and no pun will be left ungroaned at in this medicinal dose of silliness, barely contained by director Rob Melrose (
Born with Teeth).
*****
Purpose
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Tim Bond
July 29 – October 30, 2027
Angus Bowmer Theatre
A political dynasty divided
The Jaspers are a family of legend—an acclaimed Civil Rights dynasty whose name has commanded power and awe for decades. But when their youngest son returns home with an unexpected friend, he isn’t prepared for both the literal storm that leaves them stranded, or the figurative one that leaves ancient secrets exposed. The bonds of love are tested and the family’s legacy begins to splinter as the Jaspers have to reckon with the men and women behind the myths. Brimming with sharp-witted humor and surprising revelations, this story will have you on the edge of your seat. Winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play,
Purpose is a stunning triumph of American drama by one of the nation’s most celebrated playwrights. Directed by OSF Artistic Director Tim Bond.
*****
What the Constitution Means to Me
By Heidi Schreck
Directed by Kaytlin McIntyre
March 17 – July 31, 2027
Thomas Theatre
Not your grandma’s history (until it is)
When playwright Heidi Schreck was 15 years old, she loved the U.S. Constitution—so much that she traveled the country, competing in Constitutional oratorical contests to earn money for college. But when she unearths secrets about her own family history, she also discovers that this critical founding document can both protect and betray us—and she questions how it will shape the next generation of Americans. Part stand-up comedy and part hard-hitting investigation,
Constitution, directed by OSF Associate Artistic Director Kaytlin McIntyre in her OSF directorial debut, is a deeply personal journey that’s hilarious, moving, and profoundly human. Sure to spark conversation, Constitution explores the questions that “We the People” should be asking.
What the Constitution Means to Me is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
*****
The Winter’s Tale
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Shana Cooper
April 14 – October 30, 2027
Thomas Theatre
“It is required you do awake your faith”
A jealous king, a queen accused, a newborn daughter abandoned: The stakes are high in Shakespeare’s classic story of suspicion and its tragic consequences. But years later in a beautiful, faraway land, when a prince woos his love, a shepherdess—who is not what she seems—the pendulum swings from darkness to delight, leading the couple on a surprise voyage back to where the story began. This fantastical tale from late in Shakespeare’s career turns vengeance into redemption and mourning into magic in a new production directed by Shana Cooper (
The Taming of the Shrew) in OSF’s most intimate space, the Thomas Theatre.
*****
Frida … A Self Portrait
Written and performed by Vanessa Severo
Directed by Joanie Schultz
August 11 – October 29, 2027
Thomas Theatre
A portrait of two remarkable artists
Brazilian writer-performer Vanessa Severo seamlessly weaves chapters of Frida Kahlo’s bold and tumultuous life with chapters of her own in this surreal, music-filled solo show. Transporting audiences to Frida’s beloved home in Mexico and morphing effortlessly into figures close to her—her father Guillermo, her husband Diego, and more—Severo enacts stories from Frida’s life as passionately as she narrates her own. The result is a portrait of two powerful and fiercely determined women, both overcoming physical adversity to tell their own stories. Joanie Schultz directs this evocative new work giving voice to an artist and her muse.
*****
The Comedy of Errors
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Marcela Lorca
May 28 – October 16, 2027
Allen Elizabethan Theatre
A “merry feast” of mistaken identities
A stormy shipwreck separates two sets of twins at birth, a cataclysm that keeps them apart for years. When two of them boldly enter the bustling city of Ephesus in search of their respective twins, their arrival leads to several merrily madcap cases of confusion: wrongful accusations, wrongful imprisonments … and, technically, the wrong wives. The topsy-turvy mayhem and slapstick-fueled hilarity never stop in this early Shakespeare romp that has inspired comedies from the 1600s through today. Marcela Lorca (
A Midsummer Night’s Dream) returns to direct the vibrant and family-friendly classic about the search for belonging and a place to call home.
*****
Shrek The Musical
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Originally Produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions
Directed by Bill Fennelly
Original Production Directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford
Choreographed by Lili Fuller
Music Directed by Jesse J. Sanchez
May 29 – October 15, 2027
Allen Elizabethan Theatre
“Let your freak flag fly!”
When a grumpy green ogre named Shrek finds his beloved swamp overrun by displaced fairy-tale creatures, the hulking loner strikes a deal with a scheming Lord to get his home back. That deal sends him on a once-in-a-lifetime journey alongside a hilarious Donkey and a fierce princess—a journey that reveals that anyone, even a less-than-fresh-smelling ogre, can be a hero. Joyously irreverent and endlessly entertaining, the blockbuster film comes to life outdoors in OSF’s historic Allen Elizabethan Theatre. With a humorous score from a Pulitzer Prize–honored and Tony Award–winning musical theatre duo and under the direction of Bill Fennelly,
Shrek will have everyone in the family embracing their inner ogre.
Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com