Theatre News Wire

A local business, a stubborn heart, a lively city street and the quiet moments when a family begins to change come center stage in Lee Kirk's Ashland Avenue—the new play that launches The Goodman Theatre's Centennial 2025/2026 Season next month. Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth directs the world-premiere production featuring Emmy Award-nominee Jenna Fischer (The Office's Pam Beesly) and Chicago's own Francis Guinan (The Cherry Orchard), with Will Allan (The Cherry Orchard), Cordelia Dewdney (Drury Lane's Steel Magnolias) and Chike Johnson (Toni Stone). Ashland Avenue appears September 6 - October 5 in the 856-seat Albert Theatre. Tickets ($33-$148) are on sale now.

Ashland Avenue at Goodman Theatre

"Last December, following a reading of Ashland Avenue for a few hundred intrepid souls who attend 10am Saturday play readings, there was a line of people waiting to talk-to Lee, to me, to anyone associated with the play. And while they said some nice things about the play, that isn't what they wanted to talk about. They wanted to tell us about kids who'd moved away. About family businesses that now were no more. About aspirations they had, but weren't ready to share-and yet, here they were, sharing them," said Susan V. Booth. "When a play opens up its audience like that, we all get a little more human in that space. And we certainly can use more of that right now."

Pete's TV and Video has served Chicagoland for 40+ years, its plucky owner famous for his legendary commercials and customer care. But it's a new era, and Pete's (Fran Guinan) last store location is struggling while Sam (Jenna Fischer)-his daughter and family business heir apparent-has different dreams. This hilarious and moving new play asks what happens when we step outside of our parents' footsteps to follow our heart?

"I started writing Ashland Avenue after a visit to Chicago in 2023. It was on this trip when I realized, sadly, that many of my old college haunts were no longer in existence," said playwright Lee Kirk. "Although I hadn't thought of them in years, I was instantly nostalgic for places like The Three penny Cinema, Taco Burrito Place #2 and the legendary Lounge Ax. But my longing gave me an idea-and by the time I'd returned to Los Angeles three days later, the seeds of Ashland Avenue had been planted."

A graduate of The Theater School at DePaul University, where he studied Acting, Kirk's feature films as writer/director include Ordinary World, starring Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Selma Blair, Judy Greer and Fred Armisen. The Giant Mechanical Man, starring Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Topher Grace with Bob Odenkirk. And the upcoming film New Years Rev: A Green Day Movie. Playwright: Sad Happy Sucker, originally produced in 2007 in Los Angeles, produced 2019 Trap Door Theater, Chicago. Music Video/Director: Old 97's Good With God. Television/Director: NBC comedy, The Office.