Curious Theatre Branch and Prop Thtr are pleased to announce the dates for the 36th Annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, Chicago’s longest running theatre festival. The 2025 Rhino Fest returns September 5 - 28 at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. in Humboldt Park, Labyrinth Arts Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Ave. in Avondale and Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave. in Rogers Park. For more than three decades, Rhino Fest has endeavored to welcome as many theater and performance companies and artists from Chicago and across the nation.This year’s festival kicks off with a special Full Moon Vaudeville Concert, Saturday, Aug. 30, headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth and includes special guests. More information on the Full Moon Vaudeville Concert will be available later this summer. Tickets to the 2025 Rhinoceros Theater Festival are offered at pay-what-you-can pricing, with a $20 suggested price and go on sale Friday, Aug. 1 at RhinoFest.com.
Following last year’s 35th Annual Rhinoceros Theater Festival, the largest in its history, the 2025 Rhino Fest features plays, music and performances from more than 40 companies and solo artists with a focus on new work created in Chicago featuring themes of resistance and rebellion.
ABOUT RHINO FEST
The event that became the Rhinoceros Theater Festival began in 1988 as an offshoot of the Bucktown Arts Fest and in its first year featured just two days of performances, including work by Curious Theatre Branch co-founders Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly. Curious went on to produce the Rhino across many neighborhoods and venues over the years, with events variously taking place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Rogers Park, Andersonville and Avondale; at spaces including the Lunar Cabaret and Full Moon Café, the Neo-Futurarium, the Society for New Things, The Garage, The Firehouse, Remains Theatre and Prop Thtr. In the mid-2000s, Rhino Fest settled at Prop Thtr in Avondale as its long-term base and Prop and Curious co-produced the festival among a shifting group of curators for many years. Following the closure of Prop's Elston Ave. space in 2020 and a year off during the height of the pandemic, Rhino Fest has charged forward with its annual festival and featured the largest festival in its history for the 35th season in 2024 producing shows by more than 50 artists at multiple venues.
This year’s festival kicks off with a special Full Moon Vaudeville Concert, Saturday, Aug. 30, headlined by art/folk/cabaret act The Crooked Mouth (pictured above, by Jeffrey Bivens) and includes special guests.