Our top five regional theater picks this month are wildly unique, but offer one compelling throughline: identity. Whose voices are amplified, and whose are ignored? October’s lineup includes four world premieres and a Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, proving that live theater continues to thrive coast to coast.
‘A Strange Loop,’ Chicago
One of the buzziest productions in the Windy City this fall (and there are plenty), A Strange Loop makes its Chicago premiere as a co-production between About Face Theatre and Raven Theatre. Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning musical follows the metatheatrical story of Usher, a Black queer playwright working on an original musical while ushering at The Lion King. His thoughts come to life, as does a climactic encounter with his mother and the conservative religious upbringing that challenges his queer identity.
Performances through November 8
‘Talk,’ Cincinnati
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park kicks off its inaugural Made in Cincy New Works Festival with a commission from Cincinnati native and celebrated playwright Theresa Rebeck. The world premiere Talk examines what happens when a news commentary talk show goes live with an unexpected guest. All bets are off as hosts and guests dismantle political and cultural perspectives on a polished set, bringing audiences inside the TV studio at breakneck pace.
Performances through October 25
‘Every Saturday Night,’ San Francisco
While most music aficionados immediately jump to the Harlem Renaissance as a Jazz Age anchor, San Francisco has its own history, too. In the 1940s and 50s, the Fillmore District became the city’s live music epicenter. San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company brings the story to life—and the gentrification and displacement that followed—in Every Saturday Night. The production is based on and features the music of local legend Danny Duncan.
Performances through November 1
‘Uhuru,’ Houston
The Alley Theatre’s fall production is scaling a mountain—literally. Gloria Majule’s new play, Uhuru, follows an unlikely group on a ”Tanzanian-only” trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The ascent includes a Tanzanian-American tourist, two missionaries, and their guide. The world premiere promises plenty of laughs with a backpack full of bigger issues about access, identity, and “who deserves a place on the mountain.”
Performances October 16 through November 8
‘Small Town,’ Ogunquit
Anyone who grew up in the 80s will recognize this “little ditty ‘bout Jack and Diane, two American kids growin’ up in the heartland.” Grammy-winner John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane” comes to life at Ogunquit Playhouse in the world-premiere musical Small Town. The production showcases 23 of his iconic songs, including “Hurts So Good,” “Pink Houses,” and “Cherry Bomb.” But this isn’t just a Gen X trip down memory lane. Featuring a book by Naomi Wallace, Small Town questions the American Dream and the trials and tribulations of building a life when every opportunity seems just out of reach.
Performances through November 1
It wants better content.
Have another minute? Discover more theater
Chicago – In ‘Dead Girl’s Quinceañera,’ 3 teens turn a party into a crime investigation
Washington, DC – In ‘The Score,’ Brian Cox plays a composer who tests how much truth a king can take
New York City – Meet Anita Franco, the LatinX rapper formerly known as Anne Frank
