Join us for our 43rd season of BIG STORIES, UP CLOSE!

Three MainStage productions – Three KidSeries productions – Three world premieres – and more! 

MainStage Season
Rabbits in Their Pockets
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
LOKI–The End of the World Tour

KidSeries Season
Click, Clack, BOO! A Tricky Treat
Kerfuffle’s The Conductors
Kitty and the Beanstalk

Plus
The 2025-26 Concert Reading Series: 
Miss Holmes
Miss Holmes Returns
Busman’s Honeymoon
and
The 2025-26 BIPOC Playwright Showcase

“This season’s lineup truly reflects the breadth and depth of the talent in our Artistic Ensemble,” said Managing Producer Heather Currie. “From Phil Timberlake’s masterclass in acting in Marley, to our first play to come out of our BIPOC Showcase, to a new rock musical that will shake the walls, Lifeline is showing its range!”

Tickets ON SALE NOW!

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MainStage

In the pursuit of joy, does method matter? Two siblings–opposites and estranged–take one last shot at putting grief behind them to create the joy they both seek. But their daring project can only succeed if they can accept each other’s special magic. A world premiere original play by Chicago playwright Kimberly Dixon-Mays, Rabbits in Their Pockets began in Lifeline’s 2024 BIPOC Developmental Workshop.

“Lifeline’s process is both writer- and ensemble-centric. Ensemble members have given input with care and attention, and I’ve been able to take risks, gather feedback, and decide what’s next,” said Dixon-Mays, who holds degrees from Yale, UCLA, and Northwestern. Among recent honors, Dixon-Mays was selected for Goodman Theatre’s 2022 Future Lab series, and was a 2023 and 2025 finalist for American Blues Theater’s Blue Ink Award, and a 2024 finalist for Definition Theatre’s Amplify Series. In 2023 she also developed work with Shattered Globe Theater’s Global Playwright Series and Stage Left’s Playwright Residency Program and received an Illinois Arts Council fellowship.

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1 actor. 19 characters. 90 minutes of rousing good cheer! In Dickens’ Christmas Carol, Scrooge gets a chance to amend his ways, but what happened to his partner Jacob Marley? Find out in Lifeline Theatre’s production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, a one-man show written by Goodman Theatre’s own Scrooge, Tom Mula, featuring a Jeff-nominated performance by longtime Chicago actor and Lifeline ensemble member, Phil Timberlake.

“19 characters in 90 minutes requires a mastery of the craft that very few actors have,” said ensemble member Elise Kauzlaric. “Phil is creating real theatre magic in its most essential form, and audiences can’t get enough of it.”

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Welcome to the greatest rock ‘n’ roll show not on Earth! LOKI arrives at Asgard, bringing chaos, comedy, and three monstrous (maybe) children. LOKI tangles with Odin, Thor, and the mysterious Freya; each with their own agenda; their own secrets—but all paths lead to one eternal question: In an us vs. them world, can we envision a new mythology? Ensemble member Heather Currie directs this epic musical world premiere from the Jeff award-winning team of Howe and Calvit.

LOKI was conceived and developed at Lifeline in preparation for a 2020 premiere which was cancelled due to the pandemic. The new rock musical was further workshopped with Roosevelt University students in April 2023, and will now enjoy its first full production at Lifeline.

“After so many years of work, and even more years of hoping, getting to premiere LOKI at Lifeline is truly a homecoming,” said Calvit, a winner of multiple Jeff Awards. “The story is hundreds of years old, but it reads like a warning for modern times,” said Howe, who, with Calvit, received a Joseph Jefferson award for New Work for their musical Queen Lucia in 2005, as well as for his 2017 Lifeline musical Northanger Abbey. “For us, it’s a riotous exploration of the corrupting nature of power.”

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KidSeries

It’s Halloween! Duck, Pig, Cow, and Hen can’t wait to throw a party. But when mean ol’ Farmer Brown refuses to allow the festivities, it’s going to take some clever trickery to enjoy the tasty treats. Join the beloved barnyard crew as they teach Farmer Brown that sometimes a little scare can be big fun, in this musical adaptation from the beloved Click, Clack, Moo series. Recommended for kids 5 and up and their families.

Click, Clack, BOO! is the fifth musical adaptation in Lifeline’s popular Click Clack Moo series. The family-friendly musicals are based on the popular picture books and have appeared often on Lifeline’s stage and on stages around the country. “Families continue to be delighted by Farmer Brown and his mischievous barnyard animals,” said ensemble member and adaptor James E. Grote. “This fifth show in our series premiered in 2013, and it’s time for a new generation of kids to sing the songs on the way home from the theatre.”

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All aboard the magic train! Where should we go? Who shall we visit? The conductors are on a search for treasure in this play specifically designed for very young children. Join the conductors as they explore community and connection along the railroad lines! ​Featuring live music and playful audience participation, The Conductors is a silly, joyful, and engaging first theatre experience for children ages 2-6 and their families.

“Co-producing with Kerfuffle has been a joyous endeavor,” said Managing Producer Heather Currie. “Kerfuffle’s aesthetics and values are a perfect match with Lifeline’s.” Kerfuffle Founding Artistic Director Ashley Laverty agrees. “Lifeline contributes their decades of experience producing theatre for children, and Kerfuffle brings our expertise in Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) programming. It’s a perfect partnership,” said Laverty.

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In the alleys of a sunless Big City, sibling stray cats Kitty and Tom use the garbage around them to make their world a more magical place. But when Kitty trades one of Tom’s precious creations for some magic beans, Tom angrily throws them away–only to have them sprout into a magnificent beanstalk. When they climb it, they discover why the sun has vanished from the city below (hint: a giant is involved). A world premiere with music for kids ages 4-10 and their families.  

Ensemble member and adaptor Jess Wright Buha, who recently wrote a critically-acclaimed audio drama for Marvel’s newest running app, Marvel Move, conceived of the play in collaboration with her two children, Miles and Molly. “We ideated the plot points together and they gave me feedback on my writing,” said Buha. “It was both a fun game and serious work for us to do together. I think the kids in the audience will respond to this kid’s-eye-view into the classic tale.”

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PLUS

Join us for an exciting season of staged readings that bring classic mysteries to life in Lifeline’s signature style! Each concert reading includes delicious refreshments, conversation with our ensemble, staff, and board members, and a post-show Q&A with the cast.

Each performance in the Concert Reading Series serves as a special benefit event supporting the continued growth and sustainability of Lifeline Theatre. Your ticket purchase helps fund the productions you love, the education programs that introduce young people to the joy of live theatre, and the community partnerships that make our work accessible to all. Proceeds from these events help sustain our productions, education programs, and outreach efforts, ensuring that Lifeline can continue telling stories that inspire connection and creativity for years to come.

Tickets ON SALE NOW!