The Alliance Theatre and Writers Theatre are proud to announce the national tour of The Birthday of the World, an original, multi-sensory theatrical experience created for 0-5 year-olds and their families. Commissioned by the Alliance Theatre’s Bernhardt Theatre for the Very Young, the production will travel to Chicago and New York this fall as part of a unique initiative that brings immersive Jewish storytelling to public audiences in addition to synagogues, classrooms, and professional development spaces.
The Birthday of the World will be presented at Writers Theatre on November 1 and 2, 2025, welcoming families to experience this beautiful and intimate production. 847-242-6000 $20, are available at www.writerstheatre.org and 847-242-6000. Performances are at 9:30am and 11am with pre-show activities beginning 15 minutes before curtain.
Created and directed by Jonathan Shmidt Chapman, and inspired by the beloved book The Birthday of the World by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, The Birthday of the World is a story about how the world was born—and how it needs your help to be filled with light again. Drawing from Jewish folklore, this immersive performance brings a timeless and timely story to life through gentle storytelling, visual wonder, and sensory play.
"I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to share this piece with hundreds of children, families, and educators on a national tour, spreading the timely message of how we can mend our broken world by seeing the light in each other,” shares creator and director Jonathan Shmidt Chapman. “Together with Jewish United Fund Chicago, we will bring the show to Jewish early childhood programs across the Chicagoland area. In partnership with the Paradigm Project, we will also present the show at a national Jewish early childhood educator conference -- creating professional development programming around the show to inspire Jewish educators to use sensory theater techniques in their school and family programs. I hope the impact of The Birthday of the World tour will be felt for our audiences long after the production leaves town."
"We have long admired the brilliant and trailblazing work for young audiences the Alliance Theatre has produced,” says Bobby Kennedy, Writers Theatre’s Director of Artistic Development. “The Birthday of the World” is a delightful gift of a show, and we are thrilled to play a part in bringing it to families on Chicago’s North Shore. We know they are going to love it.”
From October 27–31, the production will tour Jewish Early Childhood Centers across Chicagoland in collaboration with Jewish United Fund (JUF) Chicago. These performances are part of the JUF Artist-Educator Fellowship, a hands-on professional development experience led by Chapman that invites Jewish early childhood educators to explore sensory theater as a tool for bringing Jewish stories to life in their classrooms.
The tour and accompanying training activities are presented in partnership with The K’ilu Company, with generous support from The Covenant Foundation.
Following its Chicago run, the production will travel to Sleepy Hollow, NY, to be featured at the Paradigm Project’s National Jewish Early Childhood Conference. Over 200 early childhood educators and leaders from around the country will experience the production as a model of innovative Jewish storytelling, paired with a workshop by Chapman on integrating sensory theater techniques into the classroom—particularly as a method for animating Jewish children’s books,
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES – WRITERS THEATRE
November 1-2, 2025
Writers Theatre 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe, IL
Saturday & Sunday: 9:30am and 11am
Run Time: 35 minutes
Pre-Show activities begin 15 minutes before each performance
For tickets and more information: www.writerstheatre.org/events/the-birthday-of-the-world; 847-242-6000
Price: $20
CREATIVE TEAM
Created by Jonathan Shmidt Chapman
Costume Designer: April Andrew Carswell
Line Producer: Olivia Aston Bosworth
Scenic & Puppet Designer: Lynn Jeffries
Composer: Sam Shankman Lighting Designer: Jayson T. Waddell
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
ABOUT THE ALLIANCE THEATRE
Founded in 1968, Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theater in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually. The Alliance is led by Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses and Managing Director Brandon Kahn. The Alliance is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education, and community engagement. In January 2019, the Alliance opened its state-of-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre. In January 2026, the Alliance will open the new Goizueta Stage for Youth & Families on the campus of the Woodruff Arts Center to expand its programming and commitment to excellent productions for family and student audiences of all backgrounds. Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 140 productions including eleven that have transferred to Broadway. The Alliance education department reaches more than 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps, and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning. The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration, and excellence, and is dedicated to representing Atlanta's diverse community with the stories we tell, the artists, staff, and leadership we employ, and the audiences we serve. www.alliancetheatre.org
ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE Since its founding in 1992, Writers Theatre has stayed true to its core values: valuing the power of the written word and uplifting the artists who bring that word to life. The company has produced over 160 productions—everything from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to accommodate its growing audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. Under the leadership of Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma, the company is proud to continue its 34th season.
Writers Theatre now welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Through its Literary Development Initiative, which has been responsible for the nurturing and premiering of over 30 world premieres, the theatre has established itself as a major originator of new theatrical works. Serving as an extension of the Writers Theatre mission, WT Education programs engage an average 3,500 students each year with active learning opportunities centered around the written word. www.writerstheatre.org
ABOUT THE K’ILU COMPANY
The K’ilu Company sparks Jewish discovery through immersive theater and imaginative play. K'ilu brings Jewish tradition to life through innovative experiences for families and schools, professional development for educators, and national curricular partnerships. To date, The K’ilu Company has reached thousands of children and families across 35 states and five countries. K’ilu’s educator training programs provide teachers with tools to activate hands-on Jewish learning through creative play and sensory storytelling. Based in the Chicagoland-area, The K'ilu Company serves communities nationally by partnering with local federations, JCCs, synagogues, day schools, and pre-schools, as well as national organizations, including ElevatEd, Jewish Grandparents Network, and Paradigm Project. For more information, visit www.kilucompany.com.
ABOUT JEWISH UNITED FUND (JUF) ARTIST-EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP Led by Jonathan Shmidt Chapman and supported by Jewish United Fund of Chicago, this fellowship supports early childhood educators in integrating arts-based approaches into Jewish learning.
ABOUT THE PARADIGM PROJECT The Paradigm Project is a national initiative to elevate the field of Jewish early childhood education through leadership development, professional learning, and community building. www.jparadigm.org