Berlin Public Programs
Complementing the world premiere of Berlin, we're presenting a suite of public programs exploring the play, its themes, and its modern relevance. These programs will span the run of this production, providing ample opportunities for engagement.
Tour of Chicago Puppets Up Close
Presented in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
Saturday, April 5, 2025
at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602
2:00-4:00 PM
Join curators Grace Needlman (Co-director of the Chicago Puppet Lab) and Will Bishop for a tour and interactive exploration of the exhibit, Potential Energy: Chicago Puppets Up Close. Following the tour, enjoy a guided introduction to the Buddy Store, a collaboration between Public Media Institute and DCASE showcasing local artists and small businesses.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Agora Series: Resistance & Resilience Strategies
Produced in partnership with the Public Media Institute
Saturday, April 12, 2025
at Co-Prosperity, 3219 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60608
12:00-3:00 PM
Join Court Theatre at Co-Prosperity – an experimental cultural center located in the Bridgeport neighborhood – for the next installment of the Agora Series, produced in partnership with the Public Media Institute. The afternoon will include intimate breakout discussions with local artivists and activists whose efforts uplift vulnerable communities and advocate for social justice initiatives in Chicago and beyond.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Jason Lutes Conversation and Book Signing
Presented in partnership with Seminary Co-Op Bookstores
Friday, April 25, 2025
at Seminary Co-Op Bookstores, 5751 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
12:00-1:00 PM
Join graphic novelist Jason Lutes in conversation with scholar Dr. Evan H. Carver as they discuss Lutes’s expansive work, Berlin, the original graphic novel looking at the fall of the Weimar Republic through the eyes of its citizens and the source text of Court Theatre’s world premiere adaptation.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Post-Show Conversation with Jason Lutes, Charles Newell, and David J. Levin
Friday, April 25, 2025
at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
9:30 PM
Join Director Charles Newell and Dramaturg David J. Levin in conversation with graphic novelist Jason Lutes, author of Berlin, the source text of Court Theatre’s world premiere adaptation. Listen as these three creatives discuss their process, inspiration, and their respective artistic mediums. Tickets are required to attend the performance, but the discussion is free.
Books & Banners of the People
Presented in partnership with Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
Saturday, April 26, 2025
at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607
1:00-4:00 PM
Join us at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum for a communal arts activation to celebrate the world premiere of Berlin. In this activation – consisting of a shared meal, a bookmaking workshop, and collective reflection – multidisciplinary artist and educator Silvia Ines Gonzalez will draw on Berlin’s themes of resistance and how knowledge is cultivated and spread in our communities.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Cabaret Film Screening
Presented in partnership with the Film Studies Center
Friday, May 2, 2025
at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Screening Room, 915 E 60th St Fl 2, Chicago, IL, 60637
Screening at 7:00 PM
Berlin, 1931. Amid ascendant fascism in Weimar Germany, fame-seeking American émigré Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli) sings at a bawdy cabaret whose host (an effortless Joel Gray) and musical acts celebrate the unprecedented sexual freedom of the short-lived era.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.
Notes on Masculinity: A Drag King-Centered Cabaret
Produced in partnership with Po’ Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder
Friday, May 2, 2025
at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts Room 501, 915 E 60th St Fl 5, Chicago, IL, 60637
8:30 PM
Veteran performers Po’Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder host this bimonthly drag king-centered cabaret, where performers showcase the diversity of masculine drag with numbers that are equal parts entertaining, comedic, and provocative.
RSVPs are limited to two (2) per person.