THE DISTRIKT OF LAKE MICHIGUN To Get World Premiere At Stage Left Theatre

Stage Left Theatre has announced its spring 2025 production of The Distrikt of Lake Michigun: A Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Ridiculous Tragedy (and also completely factual and also true).

Written by Stage Left ensemble member Stephanie Murphy and directed by ensemble member Seth Wilson, this new play is the outrageous (mostly) true story of George Streeter, one of the most famous rogues in the history of the Windy City. It chronicles how Streeterville began as the get-rich-quick scheme of a fast-talking con man and invites questions about how now, home to some of the most expensive real estate in the city, things might not be as different as we might hope.

As befits a wacky new play about George Streeter, the company will produce the show in Streeterville, with the production taking on the sixth floor of the iconic Water Tower Place. This avant garde performance space will allow for an environmental, participatory experience for the audience. In addition to the main piece, the evening opens with the cast performing a vaudeville-style variety show.

Previews begin March 14, 2025. Opening night is March 28, 2025 with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:00pm and Sundays at 2:30pm.

The show runs through April 27 at Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 7080 (6th floor), Chicago, IL 60611. Tickets are available on the website at stagelefttheatre.com.

This marks the first time Stage Left, one of the original Chicago store-front theatres, has produced a show in this venue and will also be the first production under the leadership of new artistic director Rachel Van Warnick.

“Theatre is experiencing difficulties in producing in the old ways and Stage Left is no different. We are excited to be charting new territory with this unconventional space for this very unconventional play” said Rachel Van Warnick.  

“I wrote this play because I was tired of seeing theatre that felt lifeless and dull. So much theatre today ends up feeling sterile and academic. It's not exciting to the audience,” said the playwright Murphy. “I wanted to create something that felt energetic, dangerous, and irreverent. It's a live show–it should feel alive!”

“I love this play because of the way Stephanie combines elements of so many different styles of theatre: Greek tragedy, vaudeville, farce, history play, and Brechtian lehrstücke,” said director Wilson. “But more importantly, it's one of the most fun scripts I've ever read. I think the audience is in for a hoot.”

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