Navy Pier Chicago Shakespeare Theater - centrally located on the Pier with 510 available seats.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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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.
outside view of Shakespeare Theater

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.

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!

Henry VIII

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)

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Chicago Shakespeare Theater Box Office at 312.595.5600,
or go to their website at www.chicagoshakes.com.

Access Shakespeare

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is committed to bringing outstanding theater to persons with disabilities, including hearing and visual impairments. Accessible seating is available in both theaters, as are large-print programs and assistive listening devices. If disability assistance is required, please call the Box Office at 312.595.5600 or 312.595.3752(TTY).

Duo-Interpreted Sign Language Performance

A designated performance of every production is interpreted in American Sign Language. Please call the Box Office at 312.595.5600 (phone) or 312.595.3752 (TTY) to book your tickets, and ask to be seated in the sign-interpreted section, which is close to the stage.

Audio-Described Performances

A designated performance of every production is audio-described. Please contact the Box Office at 312.595.5600 to book your tickets, and ask to reserve a listening device. Audio-description begins 15 minutes before the curtain with introductory remarks.

For more information, including the dates of this season's sign-interpreted and audio-described performances, please visit chicagoshakes.com/access.

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