City Lit Theater Unveils 2025-26 Season Including New Works

City Lit Theater has announced its programming for the 2025-26 season, the company’s 45th. The season will have a strong focus on new works by Chicago area writers, including a holiday production to be presented in addition to the company’s four-production season. The season’s subject matter will include two plays exploring justice in America alongside classic fantasy thrillers and a Sherlock Holmes mystery. 

The season will open in July with Stephen Adly Guirgis’s JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A’ TRAIN, an explosive contemporary drama that helped to establish Guirgis as one of the current century’s leading American dramatists. This story of a young, incarcerated Latino charged with murder will be directed by Chicago-based actor and director Esteban Andres Cruz, who won a Jeff Award in 2009 for their portrayal of the play’s leading character. Cruz has a long history with Guirgis, including originating the role of Venus Ramirez in Guirgis’s HALFWAY BITCHES GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN at Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City. JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A’ TRAIN will open on August 2, 2025, following previews from July 25 and playing through September 7.

Following the Guirgis drama, the City Lit season will focus entirely on new plays by Chicago writers, with three world premieres and one Chicago premiere. The company’s 45th season will continue in October with the world premiere of Timothy Griffin’s STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER, adapted from the seventh chapter of the Bram Stoker novel DRACULA. This gothic horror high seas adventure tells of the shocking events aboard the cargo ship transporting Count Dracula’s belongings from Transylvania to England. It will be a co-production with Black Button Eyes Productions and will be directed by that company’s Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford. The thrills will arrive for the Halloween season, with a press opening Saturday, October 18 following previews from October 10, and playing through November 23.

The suspense will continue in December with the world premiere production of John Weagly’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CHRISTMAS CLOWNS, a mystery adapted from the short story "The Flying Stars" by G.K. Chesterton and from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This new play will continue City Lit’s 19-year history with the legendary detective, from 2006’s & 2014’s HOLMES AND WATSON, 2015’s THE SEVEN PER-CENT SOLUTION, through 2007’s & 2019’s THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. Executive Artistic Director Brian Pastor will direct this special holiday production, not included in season subscriptions, but available to subscribers at the reduced price of $20.00. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CHRISTMAS CLOWNS CLOWNS will open to the press on Sunday, December 14 following previews on December 13 and 14, and play through January 4, 2026.

The 45th season will resume in February with the Chicago premiere of the historical political drama CHANGING CHANNELS by Chicago actor and playwright John Reeger. Based on actual events, CHANGING CHANNELS is set in 1952 during the McCarthy-era “Red Scare “and follows a television comedy actress who is suspected of having ties with the Communist Party. Veteran Chicago actor and freelance director Kevin Theis will helm the production. CHANGING CHANNELS will open on March 7, following previews from February 27, and play through April 12.

Closing City Lit’s 45th season will be a world premiere musical adaptation of Rafael Sabatini’s 1921 novel SCARAMOUCHE, with music and lyrics by Kingsley Day and book by Day and James Glossman. This classic adventure follows the exploits of a sardonic provincial lawyer who is radicalized by his friend’s brutal murder on the eve of the French Revolution. He repeatedly evades disaster by taking on a series of new identities—first an insurgent orator, then a traveling comic actor, and finally a master swordsman. Day’s many musical theater works include the one-act musical “Text Me,” produced at City Lit in 2024; and with Philip LaZebnik, the musicals SUMMER STOCK MURDER and AZTEC HUMAN SACRIFICE (the latter produced at City Lit in 2023). Co-bookwriter James Glossman enjoyed a two-decade-long collaboration with author and journalist Jim Lehrer that included the plays KICK THE CAN, THE SPECIAL PRISONER, and FLYING CROWS. More recently, he has been collaborating with actor Tom Hanks, on the plays SAFE HOME and THIS WORLD OF TOMORROW (the latter currently in development). SCARAMOUCHE will be directed by Beth Wolf, two-time Jeff nominee (for OUTSIDE MULLINGAR and SILENT SKY at Citadel Theatre) and Founding Artistic Director of Midsommer Flight. SCARAMOUCHE will open to the press on Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 pm, following previews from May 1 and will play through June 14, 2026.

City Lit Season 45 subscriptions are available at $110.00, good for all performances in the regular season, or $85, good for preview performances only. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CHRISTMAS CLOWNS may be added to subscriptions for an additional $20 per subscriber. Subscriptions may be ordered online at www.citylit.org or purchased over the phone by calling 773-293-3682. Single tickets for individual Season 45 productions are priced at $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances and will be on sale soon. Senior prices are $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances.

CITY LIT THEATER'S 2025-2026 SEASON

JESUS HOPPED THE ‘A’ TRAIN
By Stephen Adly Guirgis
Directed by Esteban Andres Cruz
July 25 - September 7, 2025
Previews: July 25 - August 1
Press Opening: Saturday, August 2 at 7:30 pm
Regular Run: August 2 -September 7
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Monday, August 25, at 7:30 pm
Tickets $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Senior prices $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances.
Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.
All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.
 
A cage-rattling prison drama from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis (BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY) that boldly examines faith, dignity, and our system of justice. Angel Cruz is a young Puerto Rican man incarcerated for shooting cult leader Reverend Kim. When the Reverend dies during surgery, Angel suddenly finds himself facing murder charges. His only companions at Rikers Island are Lucius Jenkins, a serial killer turned born-again Christian, and Valdez, a sadistic corrections officer.

STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER
By Timothy Griffin
Adapted from Chapter Seven of the novel DRACULA by Bram Stoker
Directed by Ed Rutherford
A co-production with Black Button Eyes Productions
World Premiere
October 10-November 23, 2025
Previews October 10 - 17
Press Opening Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 pm
Regular run October 18 - November 23
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Monday, November 10 at 7:30 pm
Tickets $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Senior prices $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances.
Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.
All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.
 
Based on Chapter Seven of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, this gothic horror high seas adventure tells the shocking events aboard the cargo ship transporting Count Dracula’s belongings from Transylvania to England. Suspicion, paranoia, and madness infect the crew as the harried sailors disappear one by one. Full of creeping mystery, vibrant language, rich characters, sinister vanishings, violent sea storms, swashbuckling action, monstrous puppetry, and, of course, a boatload of terrors, this is the Dracula tale you’ve never seen.

CHANGING CHANNELS
By John Reeger
Directed by Kevin Theis
Chicago Premiere
February 27-April 12, 2026
Previews February 27 – March 6
Press opening Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 pm
Regular run March 7 – April 12
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Monday, March 30 at 7:30 pm
Tickets $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Senior prices $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances.
Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.
All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.
 
Based on actual events, CHANGING CHANNELS is set backstage at the DuMont Television Network in New York City in 1952. It is the peak of the “Red Scare” and 151 actors, authors, and journalists are put on the Red Channels list, with alleged ties to communism. As Cold War hysteria sweeps the nation, actress Maggie Carlin finds herself accused just as her hit comedy show is taking off. 

SCARAMOUCHE: A MUSICAL IN TWO ACTS
Music and Lyrics by Kingsley Day
Book by Kingsley Day and James Glossman
Adapted from the novel SCARAMOUCHE by Raphael Sabatini
Directed by Beth Wolf
World Premiere
May 1 – June 14, 2026
Previews May 1 – 8
Press opening Saturday, May 9 at 7:30 pm
Regular run May 9 – June 14
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Monday, June 1 at 7:30 pm
Tickets $30 for previews and $38 for regular performances. Senior prices $5.00 off regular prices. Students and military are $15.00 for all performances.
Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.
All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.
 
Based on the rip-roaring novel by Rafael Sabatini. Radicalized by his friend’s brutal murder on the eve of the French Revolution, a sardonic provincial lawyer repeatedly evades disaster by taking on a series of new identities—first an insurgent orator, then a traveling comic actor, and finally a master swordsman.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY PRODUCTION (Not included in season subscriptions)

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CHRISTMAS CLOWNS
By John Weagly
Adapted from "The Flying Stars" by G.K. Chesterton and the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Directed by Artistic Director Brian Pastor
World Premiere
December 12, 2025-January 4, 2026
Press Opening Sunday, December 14 at 3 pm
Regular run December 14, 2025-January 4, 2026
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm, Monday, December 22 at 7:30 pm
Tickets:  $28 for all performances, or $20 for City Lit subscribers; Seniors $23, Students and Military $15.
Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.
All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.
 
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to the country to spend the holidays with an old army comrade of Watson’s. What they don’t know is that one of the other guests at this English manor is a notorious international thief. When a priceless present is stolen during a Christmas pantomime, can Sherlock discover the culprit before the curtain falls?  Carols, courtship and comedy bring cheer to the cold winter in this holiday treat.

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