By Lauren Emily Whalen
For most of us, the weather outside may still be frightful, but January’s regional theater offerings are just delightful. From a solo caregiver finding her people to a family of show-business hopefuls facing eviction to a yearlong celebration of a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, these productions carry recurring themes of the importance of community and connection—valuable priorities to remember when the temptation to isolate under warm blankets is especially strong.
‘Mary Jane,’ Northlight Theatre
Located just outside Chicago, Northlight Theatre is one of the area’s most prominent and longest-running professional theater companies and has a beautiful home in the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. Mary Jane’s title character, a single mother caring for her chronically ill son, finds solidarity in connection with others in this celebration of caregiving, kindness, and community.
Written by Amy Herzog and directed by Chicago favorite Georgette Verdin, Mary Jane debuted on Broadway in 2017, starring Rachel McAdams in the lead role, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play.
Performances January 22 through February 22, 2026. Skokie, IL
‘Somewhere,’ Guthrie Theater
Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew López returns to the Guthrie after the theater produced The Legend of Georgina McBride as part of its 2017-18 season. In Somewhere, the Candelaria clan finds inspiration and fuel for their own artistic dreams in the brand-new musical West Side Story, but life throws an ironic curveball when the family with stars in their eyes learns they have 30 days before their apartment building is demolished to make room for Lincoln Center.
Set in 1959 New York City and named for an iconic West Side Story ballad, this “play with dance” is inspired by López’s own family history. Director Joseph Haj and choreographer Maija García reunite after their previous collaboration on the Guthrie’s 2018 production of West Side Story.
Performances through February 1, 2026. Minneapolis, MN
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‘Good Bones,” Arden Theatre Company
The Philadelphia premiere of Good Bones by Pulitzer Prize-winning James Ijames (Fat Ham) explores gentrification and change through the eyes of Aisha, whose hometown neighborhood is being “revitalized” to build a sports stadium smack in the middle.
Want more Ijames in Philadelphia this year? Consider investing in the Citywide James Ijames Pass, for tickets to Good Bones, The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington (at Wilma Theater, where Ijames was co-artistic director), and the world premiere of Wilderness Generation—plus parking discounts, member benefits at presenting theaters, and more.
Performances January 22 through March 8, 2026. Philadelphia, PA
‘How Shakespeare Saved My Life,’ Berkeley Repertory Theatre
“America tried to take my life, and somehow a five-hundred-year-old white dude saved it,” says award-winning performer Jacob Ming-Trent in his autobiographical solo show directed by Tony Taccone. How Shakespeare Saved My Life follows Ming-Trent’s journey as he seeks to find home in language and music. A talented poet and fan of the Bard, Ming-Trent finds further inspiration in the words, images, and music of Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. This magnum opus is equal parts funny and devastating, and celebrates the power of music and language to save us from ourselves.
Performances January 23 through March 1, 2026. Berkeley, CA
‘Cowboys and East Indians,’ Denver Center for the Performing Arts
This world premiere offers a rare glimpse at the immigrant experience in the American West. Adapted by Nina McConigley and Matthew Spangler from McConigley’s award-winning short story collection, Cowboys and East Indians follows Lakshmi “Lucky” Sen, whose family has immigrated from India to Wyoming. After her mother’s death, Lucky—nicknamed “prairie dog” by her father for her hesitant nature—must fulfill her mom’s last wish and unlock precious cultural traditions. But when a family secret comes to light, Lucky realizes there’s a lot more to being a “good Indian daughter” than she thought.
Performances January 16 through March 1, 2026. Denver, CO
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