Jackalope Theatre Sets US Premiere & More for 17th Season

Jackalope Theatre Company has revealed its 17th season. The 2024 - 2025 season season includes the return of the one-man thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, January 14 - 25, 2025, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary and starring Andrew Burden Swanson, the United States premiere of one of the hits of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Dummy in Diaspora, February 26 - March 23, 2025, written and performed by Esho Rasho and directed by Karina Patel, then the world premiere of a heightened and sharp tale of Islamophobia in an American suburb from Rehana Lew Mirza, Neighborhood Watch, May 22 - June 28, 2025, directed by Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed and the season concludes with the latest edition of the Annual Living Newspaper Festival, August 21 - 25, 2025. In addition to the season announced today, Jackalope is currently accepting submissions from artists and companies for its New Frontier Series. The New Frontiers series is Jackalope supporting stories, people and communities in new and expansive ways at the Broadway Armory. Season subscriptions may be purchased for $85 with single tickets starting at $15.

“Jackalope Theatre is back at the Edgewater Armory with an incredible season including the return of The Smuggler, which played to sold out houses earlier this year,” said Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed. “In addition, Chicago will host the United States premiere of the amazing Edinburgh festival hit from Esho Rasho, a world premiere about islamophobia and paranoia from Rehana Lew Mirza and the return of our Living Newspaper Festival. Jackalope’s 17th season continues our history of presenting productions from diverse American perspectives.”

Jackalope Theatre’s 17th season includes:

The Smuggler

January 14 - 25, 2025
Written by Ronán Noone
Directed by Gus Menary
Starring Andrew Swanson
Previews: Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Press Opening: Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., 
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway St.
JackalopeTheatre.org 
Tickets: $15 - $35

Jackalope Theatre Company remounts its thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, reuniting the team behind the successful winter 2024 run, now scheduled at the Broadway Armory. It is 2025. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Finnegan is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island.

UNITED STATES PREMIERE

Dummy in Diaspora

February 26 - March 23, 2025
Written by Esho Rasho
Directed by Karina Patel
Starring Esho Rasho
Previews: Wednesday, Feb. 26, Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Press Opening: Monday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m., 
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway St.
JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season
Tickets: $15 - $35

Dummy in Diaspora is a coming-of-age solo play written and performed by Esho Rasho about a Middle Eastern American boy, Essa, whose parents are refugees. During its most recent run in the 2024 Edinburgh Festival, The Scotsman in its four-star review said Dummy in Diaspora is “brutally honest” and “chilling.” Essa confesses the experience of growing up in a country that doesn’t have a place for him. He navigates sexuality, the demands of a religion passed onto him from his parents, learning the English language, the fleetingness of youth and a nicotine demon that won't leave him alone. Absurd. Raw. Untold. 

WORLD PREMIERE

Neighborhood Watch

May 22 - June 28, 2025
Written by Rehana Lew Mirza
Directed by Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed
Previews: Thursday, May 22 - Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Press Opening: Tuesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m., 
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway
JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season
Tickets: $15 - $40

Neighborhood Watch is a sharp and heightened tale of islamophobia in an American suburb. Paul, a suburban family man, becomes so convinced that his new neighbor is a terrorist that in his pursuit to uncover the truth, he begins terrorizing his daughter and neighborhood.

16th Annual Living Newspaper Festival 

August 21 - 25, 2025
Press Opening: Thursday, Aug, 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Performance schedule: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
The Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway
JackalopeTheatre.org/2024-2025-season
Tickets: $15 - $35

The Living Newspaper Festival is inspired by the 1930s Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project that created stories based on recent events. This year’s Festival will include one-act plays inspired from recent news headlines.

Performances, show times, dates are subject to change. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.