From a Tony Award-winning musical to boundary-pushing performances exploring artificial intelligence, justice and identity, Northwestern University's Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Centers announce a dynamic 2026-27 season spanning Evanston and Chicago. Across both campuses, the season highlights a bold, collaborative and creative ecosystem where emerging artists take risks, and new work comes to life.
"Across every stage, this season explores what it means to live truthfully and the courage it takes to do so," said Tanya Palmer, assistant dean and executive artistic director. "Our artists are working collaboratively and fearlessly, creating performances that reflect and shape the world around us."
A creative ecosystem across two campuses
The Wirtz Centers at Northwestern University are a leading university-based performing and media arts ecosystem that brings together students, faculty and professional artists on stages in Evanston and Chicago.
- Evanston: the creative flagship, where students train, experiment and produce ambitious work across multiple venues
- Chicago: a growing hub where new forms, technologies and professional collaborations take shape
Evanston season: Classics, musicals and urgent storytelling
From a celebration of imagination and resilience in Roald Dahl's Tony Award-winning "Matilda the Musical" to the powerful docudrama "Execution of Justice," which explores truth, bias and the legal system, audiences at Wirtz Center Evanston will experience a dynamic mix of classic and contemporary storytelling. "Execution of Justice" will feature second-year MFA acting students performing alongside Northwestern's top-notch undergraduate students. Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" - re-envisioned through a fresh contemporary lens - and the charming romantic musical comedy "She Loves Me" are also included in the mainstage season in Evanston.
Chicago Presenting Series: Innovation, technology and bold new work
In downtown Chicago, The Wirtz Center Chicago Presenting Series opens in the fall with the irreverent and ritualistic "Toilet Fire: Rectums in the Rectory" and "Takes All Kinds: Stories of American Democracy," a vivid portrait of civic life across America. It continues with "73 Seconds," a multimedia exploration of memory, space and truth, and "2021," an interactive performance blending video games, AI and live storytelling to examine grief, ethics and digital resurrection. The series concludes with "Slutbot," a provocative and darkly comedic new work exploring identity, desire, vulnerability and the complex relationship between technology and human connection.
The full season line-up, dates and ticket information can be found online. Flex passes, redeemable for up to six tickets to any production, and individual tickets are on sale now.
