Remy Bumppo Theatre Announces its 30th Anniversary Season
Artistic Director Marti Lyons and Remy Bumppo Theatre announced its 30th anniversary season. Remy Bumppo's 2025 - 2026 season includes the Chicago premiere of Wish You Were Here, September 18 - October 19, by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Azar Kazemi and Hedda Gabler, by Christopher Shinn, based on the literal translation by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and directed by Artistic Director Marti Lyons, February 5 - March 8, 2026 and the third edition of its reading series, Readings on Ravenswood in spring 2026. Performances for Wish You Were Here and Hedda Gabler will take place at Theater Wit, 1229 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. Readings on Ravenswood takes place at Remy Bumppo's Rehearsal Room, 1751 W. Grace St.
"Marking our 30th anniversary, I am thrilled to announce the line-up for the upcoming season at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company," said Artistic Director Marti Lyons. "This season will celebrate the rich history of our past and the bold vision for our future. It will meet our current moment with delightful and daring plays that exemplify the artistic excellence for which we are known."
The Remy Bumppo Theatre Company's 30th anniversary season includes:
Wish You Were Here
By Sanaz Toossi
Directed by Azar Kazemi
September 18 - October 19
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.
Performance schedule: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Set in Iran from 1978 to 1991, this breathtaking and unabashed comedy-drama explores the evolving relationships among a group of five women during the escalation, height and aftermath of the Iranian Revolution.
"Wish You Were Here is an exquisite examination of friendship. Set in Iran and spanning 1978 to 1991, Sanaz Toossi's play charts the bonds between five women as they grapple with events in their lives and in the world," said Lyons. "I am thrilled to present Sanaz Toossi's work, directed by Azar Kazemi, at Remy Bumppo this fall. This piece epitomizes Remy Bumppo's love of language and commitment to artistic ensemble."
The cast of Wish You Were Here includes Shadee Vossoughi (Nazanin), Yourtana Sulaiman (Zani), Gloria Imseih Petrelli (Salme), Tina Arfaee (Shideh/New Friend) and Joan Nahid (Rana).
Hedda Gabler
Adapted by Christopher Shinn
Based on the literal translation by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey
Directed by Artistic Director Marti Lyons
February 5 - March 8, 2026
Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave.
This Broadway adaptation of Ibsen's timeless drama presents a sympathetic, striking and powerful Hedda in the classic tale of her struggle to find a means of escape from a loveless, ordinary existence. Beginning with the return from her honeymoon, Hedda finds herself bored of her husband and longing for the days when she was free to exercise her wild and independent whims. With the return of an old flame and a proposition from an amorous judge, she begins a dangerous game, amusing herself by manipulating and destroying everyone around her in an attempt to regain control of her life.
"Hedda Gabler is a classic that could not be more contemporary. Ibsen's work, in Christopher Shinn's sharp adaptation, keenly illustrates the moral complexity of characters both trapped by their circumstances and complicit in their own destruction. I am elated to direct Hedda Gabler featuring Remy Bumppo's Core Ensemble," said Lyons.
The cast of Hedda Gabler currently includes Aurora Real de Asua+ (Hedda Gabler), Greg Matthew Anderson (Judge Brack), Eduardo Curley+ (Tesman),
Annabel Armour+ (Miss Tesman), Linda Gillum+ (Berte) and Gloria Imseih Petrelli (Thea).
+Connotes Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Core Ensemble Member.
Readings on Ravenswood
Spring 2026
Remy Bumppo Rehearsal Room, 1751 W. Grace St.
Complete list of plays, actors, directors and dates to be announced in 2026.
Readings on Ravenswood returns for its third season with more plays featuring favorite playwrights and Core Ensemble members. Each reading includes a conversation with audience members immediately following that night's selected play.