Recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Chicago Shakespeare Theater opened its new seven-story facility
at Navy Pier in 1999, bringing a new dimension to the Pier and creating a permanent home for Shakespeare in the
heart of Chicago.

The year-round theater complex is centrally located on the Pier. Inside this beautiful courtyard-style theater, the main floor, dress circle and gallery wrap gracefully around the thrust stage. In the intimate 510-seat theater, only nine rows separate the most distant seat from the actors on stage, and the gallery is suspended just 20 feet above the action. The complex also features a flexible 180-seat theater, Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare, rehearsal spaces, an English-style pub, a Shakespeare resource center for educators, and lobby and reception areas with views of Lake Michigan and Chicago's skyline.
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Now Playing
Othello: The Remix
a hip-hop adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello
created, directed and music by GQ and JQ
developed by Rick Boynton
Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare
Extended through June 15
This fresh urban take on Shakespeare’s tragedy returns home for a limited engagement on the heels of an acclaimed world premiere at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and wildly successful tours to Germany and Edinburgh. The CST-commissioned hip-hop adaptation of Othello is spun out and lyrically rewritten over original beats by The Q Brothers—America’s leading re-interpreters of Shakespeare through hip-hop (Funk It Up About Nothin’, The Bomb-itty of Errors). Whether you’re looking for a rockin’ night of rhythm and rhyme or a new way to think about Shakespeare, Othello: The Remix delivers an intense, high energy spin like no other.
Recommended for mature audiences (contains adult language)
Henry VIII
by William Shakespeare
directed by Barbara Gaines
in Chicago Shakespeare's Courtyard Theater
April 30–June 16, 2013
Henry VIII receives its first staging in CST's history under the masterful hand of founder and Artistic Director Barbara Gaines. As the sordid tale unfolds of England's most opulent king—notorious for his habit of wedding and beheading—Anne Boleyn rises to power, Queen Katherine is ousted from her throne, and the political machinations and exploits of a king's reign are laid bare.
Coming Soon!
Shrek The Musical
in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater
July 13–September 1, 2013
Bring your whole family to Navy Pier this summer for this heartwarming, 75-minute musical adventure based on the Academy Award-winning film. It recounts the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim his once-secluded home. Accompanied by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon and rescues the cursed Princess Fiona. On this not-so-traditional fairytale journey, Shrek discovers the value of friendship and realizes that true love is more than skin deep. Following each performance, audience members are invited to meet the cast in the theater lobby.
A CST Family production best enjoyed by ages 5 and up
Approximate Running Time: 75 minutes (no intermission)
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