A Record-Breaking 2025/26 Season at Writers Theatre

August 10, 2026

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From record attendance and sold-out productions to new artistic initiatives and expanded education programs, here's a look back at an unforgettable 2025/26 season.

As we prepare to enter our 35th season, we're celebrating a record-breaking season with artistic growth and unprecedented ticket sales!

By shattering box office attendance and fundraising records, Writers Theatre cements its position as a premier national hub for theatre excellence and community engagement. Our critically acclaimed five-show season earned a collective 17 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, recognizing every production: Hershey Felder's Rachmaninoff and the Tsar, As You Like It, Two Sisters and a Piano, JOB and Leopoldstadt.

The season was anchored by unprecedented audience demand, including a record-breaking extension for Max Wolf Friedlich’s JOB, which became the highest-grossing show in the history of the Gillian Theatre, and the historic staging of Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, the largest and highest-revenue production in the company's history.

“From the moment we started planning, we knew this was an ambitious season. And our success across so many fronts is a testament to the artists, staff and board of Writers Theatre. We are fortunate to have one of the most passionate and savvy audiences anywhere, and we were thrilled to welcome so many new patrons through our doors for the first time. I could not be prouder of what we've accomplished together this year.”

Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director, Braden Abraham

The cast of *As You Like It*. Photo: Michael Brosilow

By the Numbers: A Year of Historic Growth

Writers Theatre saw significant year-over-year operational growth from the 2024/26 season to the 2025/26 season:

$2.45 million in single ticket revenue, up from $1.5 million – a 63% increase
3,688 subscribers, up from 3,180
55,917 total attendees, up from 46,600
86% average paid capacity, up from 68%

"At a time when arts organizations continue to navigate significant economic and funding challenges, this season has been a powerful reminder of what is possible when community responds with extraordinary confidence, enthusiasm and generosity. Record-breaking ticket sales, the most successful gala in our history and an ambitious season of critically acclaimed productions demonstrate that audiences continue to invest in meaningful artistic experiences."

Executive Director, Kate Lipuma

The cast of *Leopoldstadt*. Photo: Michael Brosilow

Commitment to Artistic Development and New Work

Writers Theatre continued to invest in the Chicago artist community by employing 75 Chicago-based artists on its stages during the 2025/26 season, the highest number in recent history, bringing the theatre's four-season total to 243 unique local actors.

With the belief that language is at the center of the theatrical experience, Writers Theatre continued its long-term commitment to developing new work and being a welcoming home for playwrights.

During the 2025/26 season, Writers Theatre began work on two new commissions: Rammel Chan's Tomato Tattoo and Matthew C. Yee's Songs from the Underworld. Additionally, the theatre hosted several readings and workshops over the course of the season to further the development of a number of in-process projects:

Frankenstein — Kyle Hatley and Dana Omar's ghostly indie rock version of the Mary Shelley classic
Within Our Lifetime — a new play about psychic mediums in Victorian New England by Erik Hellman
Aping Jane — a transformational one-woman show about Jane Goodall and her many animal companions by playwright Aurora Real de Asua

Unprecedented Community Philanthropy

The record-breaking season was fueled by extraordinary donor support. A dedicated campaign united 40 visionary donors who invested over $1.3 million specifically to make the epic scale of Leopoldstadt possible. This generosity propelled total seasonal operating support to nearly $4 million.

Additional philanthropic milestones included welcoming Adam S. Garber (Levenfeld Pearlstein), Mollie Gawronski (BMO) and Katie E. Henderson (Northern Trust) to the Board of Trustees, and raising over $1 million at the 2026 WordPlay Gala, “A Little Night Music,” which honored Rick and Deann Bayless.

Beyond the stage, donor support made possible The Stoppard Series, a community education series that invited patrons into meaningful conversations about the timely themes of Leopoldstadt, creating space for dialogue, reflection and connection.

The series was highly collaborative, partnering with cultural institutions including The Illinois Holocaust & Education Center, Sukkat Shalom, Resetting the Table and Jewish Studio Project, with lecturers from University of Notre Dame, Loyola University, DePaul University and The School at the Art Institute.

Christopher Donahue and Rae Gray in *JOB* Photo: Hugo Hentoff

Arts Engagement and Education Expanded Its Footprint

Mirroring the company's core mission, Arts Engagement and Education at Writers Theatre had a robust year of community integration and academic collaboration.

Driven by a commitment to curiosity, excellence, language, conversation and the cultivation of artists of all ages, WT Education engaged nearly 5,000 patrons of all ages. Programming spanned across three areas: Onsite Programs, School-Based Programs, and Theatre for Young Audiences. Highlights include:

Student Matinees:
Welcomed 1,165 students and teachers to performances, marking an increase of 200 attendees.
Onsite Youth Programs:
Engaged 226 community members through pop-up day camps, spring break camps, and Wake Up Words.
Theatre for the Very Young:
Attracted 712 patrons to early-childhood offerings, including Kerfuffle's Bookworms, behold!, and Alliance Theatre's The Birthday of the World.
The Novel Series:
Reached 848 students across 35 classrooms in 11 regional schools, with over 54% (6 out of 11) of participating schools classified as low-income.

The Novel Series also partnered with Communities in Schools – Chicago to add new institutions, including Johnnie Colemon Elementary and Mather High School; translated 8 out of 14 curricula into Spanish, successfully executing a full residency and final presentation entirely in Spanish; and collaborated with 10 returning teachers to build upon multi-year academic programming.

Looking Ahead: Our 35th Anniversary Season

Building on this remarkable momentum, Writers Theatre is launching its 35th Season with its first preview on August 13, continuing the company's commitment to artistic excellence, world-class storytelling and the uniquely powerful connection that only intimate theatre can create.

The season begins with Sisters, written by Matthew Libby and directed by Jessica Thebus, running August 13–November 8, 2026. The season continues with The Royale, Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, Creditors, and Hershey Felder: The Piano and Me.

Thank you for being part of this record-breaking season. We can't wait to see you for what's next.

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