Madeline LaFrombois / Managing editor 

Theater has been a vibrant part of Chicago’s history before it was even named a city. With a history of famous theater fires that have left some theaters haunted and often visited or the home of productions, the theater has thrived and become a significant part of Chicago’s culture. Beyond visiting Broadway shows, homegrown produced theater has a 70+ year history in the city. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, since the 1950s, individual playwrights, actors and others seeking to make it in Chicago’s art form have produced their own small-town productions. 

Chicago Theatre Week, which ran from February 5th to the 15th, opens local and larger national productions to the everyday person. Theater tickets are notoriously expensive and often beyond a college student’s budget to attend professional productions. With production base tickets ranging from $15 to $30, this week offers the opportunity to check out new, well-known, or experimental theaters around the windy city. The Choose Chicago website, the host of this week’s event, encourages visitors to check out multiple shows. With discounted tickets, this is much more feasible than the hundreds of dollars it would typically cost. 

Here are three shows The Torch went to see during the week. 

Holiday 

The Holiday, a recreation of the play that debuted at the Goodman Theater, opened the 2026 season of productions at the Goodman Theater. After seeing it, it matches the rom-com plot advertised; however, it also includes additional commentary on social issues that remain relevant today. By balancing how privilege shapes people’s worldviews and what it is like to enter privilege after years without it, this production examines all sides through 9 vibrant characters who share anecdotes and situations throughout the play. With fantastic set design, costuming and actor portrayals, this story is transportive and its themes ring true today. 

Drunk Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet 

Drunk Shakespeare is a well-known experience in Chicago. The show we saw was their rendition of the classic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. This show is a mix of high school theater energy, incredibly talented actors and booze, where anything can happen. As the name suggests, this is a production based around the consumption of alcohol and is strictly for 21+. The show begins when one of the five actors takes 5 shots. For the show the Torch attended, it was five shots of the well-known, admired and loved by some Malort. With audience participation, the ability to order drinks and snacks available for purchase throughout the performance, easy laugh references and adult humor, the show is meant for a night of laughter and a good ol’ time. For the audience experience, upon entering, all attendees receive a welcome shot that sets the tone for the rest of the evening.  

The production takes place in a library-like room that also resembles a Speakeasy. It gives the impression that the actors picked up a book to tell their hilarious rendition of Shakespeare’s well-known plays. Although the room can seat up to 120 audience members, it is still quite small, so you are quite close to the neighbors and right up front with the action of the play. Overall, although the acting is incredible throughout the show, it is arguably more of an experience than a theatrical production. However, the target audience is clearly anyone who loves theater. Beyond Romeo and Juliet, the Drunk Shakespeare company offers many other shows, making it a great 21+ night out just steps from Roosevelt’s campus.”

Eureka Day 

Eureka Day, a timeline theater production, is a highly awarded play. Winning a Tony in 2025 for best revival of a play, it addresses the conflicts that arise when seeking agreement in a modern world with broad views and perspectives. The main conflict in the show arises when a Mumps outbreak hits the Eureka Day school. One of the main contributors to this is the school’s open stance on vaccination requirements, as reflected in executive committee meetings. With significant challenges in being socially just and accepting of all views. 

The show raises the question of whether all points of view can be accepted when health and safety are at stake. As many Roosevelt University students care deeply about the institution’s social justice mission and regularly discuss hot topics in society today, this play opens a fantastic discussion on the challenges of actively working to create a socially just world. It discusses and comments on significant social justice issues, as well as what operating on a set of core values looks like in divided times. 

Beyond the serious discussions, the show is filled with many laughs. For modern audiences who have lived through the quarantine and major shutdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is sure to elicit uproarious laughter. With the ticket discount and generally lower prices, this is a great opportunity for any RU student to enjoy some locally produced theater.