Bramble Theatre Company
Our upcoming events
We’re excited to see you in 2026 at the Bramble Arts Loft!
Announcing our 2026 Season…
The Pets by Dizzy Turek
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A workshop production
It’s 2011 and an animal collector in Zanesville, Ohio has set every one of his 50 exotic pets free. St. Francis of Assisi shows up to help during this wild, dark roam around the countryside. It's Animal Farm meets The Wizard of Oz meets a road trip comedy with a late ‘90s soundtrack. Based on a true story.
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Playwright - Dizzy Turek
Director - Dan Washelesky^
Production Manager & Props Designer - Patrick Starner
Stage Manager - Alishiana Uyao
Assistant Stage Manager - Amanda Tancioco Rokosz
Assistant Director & Script Supervisor | Gabriela Diaz
Sound Designer - Angela Joy Baldasare
Lighting Designer - Jackson Mikkelsen
Costume Designer - Madeleine Shows
Assistant Director - Gabriela Diaz
Intimacy Designer - Denise Yvette Serna
Violence Design - Tristin Hall
Artistic Director - Kamille Dawkins
Casting - Karissa Murrell Myers^
CAST: Kylie Anderson^, Alexander Attea, Haley Bolithon^, Rasheeda Denise^, Capri Gehred-O'Connell, Suzy Krueckeberg^, Ben Locke^, Francis Miller, Johnard Washington^, & Alice Wu
Understudies: Amontae Banks, Madeline Bunke, Will Burdin, Stephanie Fongheiser, & Mary Margaret McCormack
^denotes Bramble ensemble members.
5th Annual Festival of Unfinished Work
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6 scenes from plays currently in development written by local Chicago playwrights.
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TBA
Black Bear Island by Karissa Murrell Myers
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Chicago premiere production.
When her estranged childhood sweetheart mysteriously dies, Amitra returns home after a long absence to Black Bear Island, which legend says is haunted by a monstrous man-killing bear. As she searches for the truth, the forest begins to engulf the house and her past begins to collide with the present as her memory starts to unfog. This gothic, magical realistic thriller explores regret, the unreliableness of our own memories, and the paths we choose to become who we are.
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Playwright - Karissa Murrell Myers^
Director - Jonathan Berry
^denotes Bramble ensemble member
PARLOR READING SERIES
Bramble's Parlor Readings are designed to be low-pressure environments where playwrights can share new work with the Chicago community. Artists rehearse together only once before gathering with audiences to perform the play as a staged reading and discuss it with them in a casual talkback afterwards.
Next play will be announced soon!
Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can with a suggested donation of $10.
2026 SPRING READING SERIES
presented in collaboration with Oak Park Area Arts Council
CLOWNFISHING
Written by Bailey Jordan Garcia, directed by Jessica Love
April 19 @ 7:30pm at Bramble Arts Loft
Set in the early days of online anonymity, Clownfishing follows a grieving teenager who slips into his dead best friend’s digital persona to entrap her former bully, only to discover that the performance offers a freedom and recognition he’s never had in his own body.
THROWBACK ISLAND
Written by Ro Reddick, directed by Ebby Offord
April 20 @ 7:30pm at Bramble Arts Loft
Six “sexy singles” go to a secluded island for nostalgia soaked good vibes, #truelove, and a chance to win $100K. But when a strongman bachelor enters the villa there’s a lot more at stake than a pot of money… Throwback Island is a dark and eerie satire that explores homegrown, all-American fascism through a bonkers reality dating show.
RONA FORTUNAE
Written by Rammel Chan, directed by Hannah Todd
April 26 @ 7:30pm at Bramble Arts Loft
Drowning in debt and feeling stuck, Henry finds himself in the midst of some crazy ass illuminati shit in the Tether program. In exchange for a simple gift of a million dollars a year, billionaire adherents tether their souls to the souls of good commoners in order to karmically avoid damnation by the Wheel, the scientifically proven One True God.
We’re touring this reading series to Oak Park!
CLOWNFISHING
Written by Bailey Jordan Garcia, directed by Jessica Love
May 17 @ 3pm at Madison Street Theatre
Set in the early days of online anonymity, Clownfishing follows a grieving teenager who slips into his dead best friend’s digital persona to entrap her former bully, only to discover that the performance offers a freedom and recognition he’s never had in his own body.
THROWBACK ISLAND
Written by Ro Reddick, directed by Ebby Offord
May 19 @ 3pm at Madison Street Theatre
Six “sexy singles” go to a secluded island for nostalgia soaked good vibes, #truelove, and a chance to win $100K. But when a strongman bachelor enters the villa there’s a lot more at stake than a pot of money… Throwback Island is a dark and eerie satire that explores homegrown, all-American fascism through a bonkers reality dating show.
RONA FORTUNAE
Written by Rammel Chan, directed by Hannah Todd
May 17 @ 7:30pm at Madison Street Theatre
Drowning in debt and feeling stuck, Henry finds himself in the midst of some crazy ass illuminati shit in the Tether program. In exchange for a simple gift of a million dollars a year, billionaire adherents tether their souls to the souls of good commoners in order to karmically avoid damnation by the Wheel, the scientifically proven One True God.
What’s next??
#seasonpass
#newwork
2026 Season Subscription
Regular season passes available!
Season subscriptions are now available: $85 for all three productions. That's a 23% savings on the cost of tickets alone -- and you'll know that you played a vital role in helping us start our 2026 season on firm footing.
Get your 2026 Season Subscription today!
#unfinished work
#allgreatplayswerenewonce
Escape to the Bramble
Festival of Unfinished Work
Coming this summer!
Our popular annual Festival of Unfinished Work takes place in June. It features six scenes from original new plays written by local Chicago playwrights. Audiences will have the opportunity to vote on which pieces they are most interested in seeing developed further. This voting process will impact which pieces will be given a workshop and public reading by Bramble at a future date.
All great plays were new once. Come check out what might end up becoming the next great American play!
Do you want to support our work?
We invite you to be a part of Bramble’s future by making a donation that will go directly towards the artistic programming of new work.
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Past Events
We’ve been busy since our official launch in 2021! Check out some of our past work.
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RACECAR RACECAR RACECAR by Kallan Dana. A workshop production.
4TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF UNFINISHED WORK
ROOTED by Ben F. Locke. A world premiere production.
SPRING READING SERIES. Featuring TOP GIRL; OR THE CHEERLEADER PLAY by Evalena Lakin and BLOOD OF MY MOTHER’S by Karissa Murrell Myers. These workshops culminated in public readings.
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CANCELINA by Beth Hyland. A staged reading.
3RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF UNFINISHED WORK
EVIL PERFECT by Spencer Huffman, directed by Jonathan Shaboo. A world premiere production.
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ROOTED by Ben F. Locke. A workshop with a public reading at The Understudy Coffee and Books.
FESTIVAL OF UNFINISHED WORK - Our second annual festival, presented at The Edge Theatre.
FALL READING SERIES - GAZSCHEBET by Skyler Tarnas, THE WHOLE SEAMUS THING by Ben Auxier and L.C. Bernadine, and THE RED FORTUNE COOKIE by Karissa Murrell Myers. These workshops culminated in public readings at The Understudy Coffee and Books.
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FESTIVAL OF UNFINISHED WORK - 6 scenes from 6 unfinished plays written by 6 Chicago playwrights. Presented at the Newport Theatre.
FALL READING SERIES - LOVE STORY by Kallan Dana, MILLENNIAL CHURCH by Leah Roth Barsanti, and HOW TO MURDER… by Bramble Artistic Director Karissa Murrell Myers. These workshops culminated in public readings at The Edge Theatre and Redline VR.
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THE MINISTRY OF MUNDANE MYSTERIES CHICAGO - An immersive telephonic experience originally created by Bramble ensemble member Sebastien Heins at Outside the March. We solved 206 cases in 36 U.S. cities and 7 foreign countries!
TINY DEAD THINGS by Madison Fargo. A public reading on Zoom.
EVIL PERFECT by Bramble ensemble member Spencer Huffman . A workshop with a public reading at the Raven Theatre.