Chicago Shakespeare Theater Announces Performance Schedule for Shakes in the City: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) recently announced the schedule for Shakes in the City: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s dreamiest romantic comedy.   The beloved comedy will be presented with 20 free, 45-minute performances in green spaces, neighborhood festivals, and city events between July 19 and August 14, 2025.

In this year’s Shakes in the City initiative, audiences of all ages will embark on a romantic adventure with Puck and his motley crew of theatricals, a fairy King and Queen, and a talking donkey. As magic and enchantment create chaos, young love will bring exhilaration and hilarity, turning the world upside down.

The ensemble features Nate Cheeseman (Oberon/Peter Quince), Blake Hamilton Currie (Lysander), Jaeda Lavonne (Titania/Starveling), Olivia Pryor (Hermia/Snout), Alex Benito Rodriguez (Demetrius/Flute), Brenann Stacker (Puck), Grace Steckler (Helena/Snug), and Issy van Randwyck (Bottom). The creative team also includes director Christopher Llewyn Ramirez, scenic designer Alyssa Mohn, costume designer Janelle Smith, sound designer and composer Forrest Gregor, and stage manager Rita Vreeland.

CST Artistic Director Edward Hall notes, “Taking this vivacious, energetic, and life-affirming comedy onto the streets and into the neighborhoods of Chicago is a dream for Shakespeare’s Dream. I am so looking forward to renewing our relationship with the many different communities of Chicago, a city that explodes with summer energy and life whenever the sun shines and people gather.”

The comedy will be performed in 16 Chicago neighborhoods this summer including;  Albany Park, Bronzeville, Chesterfield, Chinatown, Englewood, Garfield Park, Pilsen, Portage Park, Pullman, Sauganash, South Chicago, South Lawndale, South Shore, Streeterville, West Pullman, and Wicker Park/Bucktown.

For additional information on specific dates and locations, visit www.chicagoshakes.com/shakesinthecity.