(Chicago) Otherworld Theatre will opened its newly acquired theater location, 3914 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613; the world’s first venue dedicated to the performance of Science Fiction and Fantasy genre opened July 14, 2018. The property, a two-stage facility with a 120 seat main stage, 40 seat black box, bar, and lobby located a few blocks north of Wrigley Field is located at 3914 N Clark Street. Otherworld Theatre is Chicago's only Science Fiction and Fantasy theatre company and one of the few theatre companies in the world dedicated to live performance in these genres. All mainstage tickets are pay-what-you-can, allowing people of any and all means to experience live performance. Tickets are available at www.OtherworldTheatre.org
Stephanie Mattos as Captain Ariadne Minos in Corona (2019)
A world premiere Written by Elizabeth A.M. Keel. Photo credit: Steven Townshend.
The first mainstage season in the new venue included the Midwest premiere of All I Want Is One More Meanwhile… a comic book inspired comedy tackling toxic fandom penned by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, The Winter Wolf, a family friendly fairytale world premiere written by Joseph Zettelmaier, and THE GREEKS: two classic myths retold in rep through a modern feminist lens- Corona, a world premiere written by Elizabeth A. M. Keel and Medusa Undone a Midwest premiere written by Bella Poynton. Otherworld targets theatre patrons of all ages, genders, and races, with a particular focus on fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy, or "genre" storytelling. This is a large, underserved market, particularly when it comes to live theatre.
Mary-Kate Arnold as Medusa in Medusa Undone (2019)
A midwest premiere Written by Bella Poynton.
Photo credit: Steven Townshend.
Otherworld’s late night programming includes Crescent Moon Nerdlesque (nerd themed burlesque), a nerd themed stand-up show called Underworld Comedy Showcase, parody shows, and a slew of sci-fi and fantasy themed imrov shows including Improvised Dungeons and Dragons, Improvius Comedius, and Dork Court (a courtroom comedy in which lawyers fight over fandoms).
“We are extremely proud to create a space that celebrates Science Fiction and Fantasy performance and provide a community hub for fans of all stri
pes to explore their passions for these genres and express themselves in a safe and inviting environment. Whether you are mildly interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy or a die hard fan, we welcome you to Otherworld Theatre to enjoy these stories together,” said Tiffany Keane Schaefer, Otherworld Theatre founding artistic director.
Shariba Rivers as Wolf and Molly Southgate as Cora in The Winter Wolf (2018),
a family friendly fairytale world premiere by Joseph Zettelmaier.
photo credit: Steven Townshend
While the focus of Otherworld Theatre remains theatrical productions, the company also uses the venue to create a unique community hub for fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy genres that celebrate geek culture unlike anywhere else in the world. The company hosts community events like PARAGON Fest (the world’s largest Sci-Fi + Fantasy play festival), Film Festivals, cosplay meetups, Otherworld Brunch Babes (a female-identifying nerd theme brunch series that explores and celebrates favourite fandoms through an intersectional feminist lense), LARPs, karaoke, trivia nights, game nights, and more. Otherworld also offers daytime classes, including stage combat workshops run by Resident Fight Director Kai Young, and improv classes taught by Kaitie Ruppert. Otherworld describes their target audience as anyone who enjoys live performance, Science Fiction and Fantasy literature, film, and television, and fandoms that fall within "popular geek culture". The company routinely engages with their fans and patrons through other smaller artistic events, like the monthly reading and talkback series, convention panels, galas, and more.
Otherworld Theatre Company, a non-profit arts organization, was founded in June 2012 with the mission to bring a theatrical experience to the science fiction and fantasy genre. Our work celebrates the depth of human imagination by engaging our patrons with high quality storytelling. Otherworld Theatre also curates events to create dialogue between patrons and artists, furthering our connection to the Chicago community. Visit the Otherworld virtually at OtherworldTheatre.org and on Twitter (@OtherworldThtre), Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Otherworld Theatre
3914 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613
Cross Streets: Clark/Irving Park El stop: Red line Addison/Sheridan
