The Goodman announces a second extension for Lee Kirk’s “poignant and laugh-out-loud funny” (Daily Herald) Ashland Avenue, adding five performances through October 19. The world-premiere production, directed by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth, is the first of The Goodman’s Centennial 2025/2026 season and stars The Office’s Jenna Fischer alongside Chicago’s own Francis Guinan (The Cherry Orchard), with Will Allan (The Cherry Orchard), Cordelia Dewdney (Drury Lane’s Steel Magnolias) and Chiké Johnson (Toni Stone). Ashland Avenue is onstage now in the 856-seat Albert Theatre; second extension performances include October 16 at 7:30pm, October 17 at 7:30pm, October 18 at 2pm and 7:30pm and October 19 at 2pm. Tickets ($44-$159, subject to change) are available at the Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), by phone at 312.443.3800 or by purchasing online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Ashland. The Goodman is grateful for the support of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Lead Corporate Sponsor), Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), and Abbott Fund/Winston & Strawn LLP (Corporate Sponsor Partners).
A local business, a stubborn heart, a lively city street and the quiet moments when a family begins to change come center stage in Ashland Avenue. Pete’s TV and Video has served Chicagoland for 40+ years, its plucky owner famous for his legendary commercials and customer care. But it’s a new era, and Pete’s last store location is struggling while Sam—his daughter and family business heir apparent—has different dreams. This hilarious and moving new play asks what happens when we step outside of our parents’ footsteps to follow our heart?
Chicago Legacy Business Ice Cream Social – Saturday, September 27 at 6pm
The Goodman and Preservation Chicago join forces to celebrate and support Chicago Legacy Businesses at an ice cream social event inspired by Ashland Avenue. Attendees will hear from the owners of some of Chicago’s most beloved businesses. Savor the iconic flavors of Rainbow Cone and Old Fashioned Donuts while hearing stories of resilience from the city’s most precious, authentic (and endangered) assets. Tickets: $20 (event only); $80 (event + 7:30pm performance of Ashland Avenue). For tickets and more information, visit GoodmanTheatre.org/IceCreamSocial.
FULL COMPANY OF ASHLAND AVENUE
By Lee Kirk
Directed by Susan V. Booth
Will Allan…Young Man
Cordelia Dewdney…Jess
Jenna Fischer…Sam
Francis Guinan…Pete
Chiké Johnson…Mike
Understudies for this production include Daniel Ajak (Mike), Adam Benjamin (Young Man), Maura Kidwell (Sam), Hannah Ruwe (Jess) and Neil Friedman (Pete).
Creative Team
Vocal and Dialect Coach…Stan Brown
Fight Choreographer…Chuck Coyl
Set Designer…Kevin Depinet
Costume Designer…Jessica Pabst
Lighting Designer…Jason Lynch
Sound Designer and Composer…Lindsay Jones
Line Producer…Malkia Stampley
Second Line Producer…Lena Romano
Assistant Director…Michael Cotey
Assistant Lighting Designer...Emma Berry
Assistant Sound Designer…Aaron Woodstein
Script & Production Assistant...Lauren Westfahl
Jingle Vocalist...Becca Kaufman
Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Clara Zucker is the Dramaturg. Nikki Blue is the Production Stage Manager. Jennifer Gregory is the Stage Manager.
ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES
Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman’s accessibility efforts.
ASL-Interpreted: September 26 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described: September 27 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Spanish-Subtitled: September 27 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned: September 28 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.
ABOUT THE GOODMAN
Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.
Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.
But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.
The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.
The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman’s descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.