In an early embrace for Theater of the Mind – a one-of-a-kind theatrical immersive experience by Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne with writer Mala Gaonkar – initial ticket sales for the Spring 2026 Chicago engagement exceeded projections. Theater of the Mind takes 16 audience members at a time through a 15,000-square-foot installation – creating a 75-minute journey of self-reflection, discovery, and imagination, inspired by and grounded in neuroscience. Since tickets went on sale November 7, more than 3,000 have been purchased, selling out the equivalent of nearly 200 performance time slots of the 1,500 currently available.
Theater of the Mind appears March 11 – May 31, 2026, at the Reid Murdoch Building (333 N. LaSalle). Tickets ($66-$96, subject to change) are available at the Goodman Theatre Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), by calling 312.443.3800 or by purchasing online at TheaterOfTheMindChicago.com. The Goodman is grateful for the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Illinois Office of Tourism, Northern Trust and Friedman Properties. Theater of the Mind is produced here in special arrangement with Arbutus, a not-for-profit founded by David Byrne to celebrate, re-present, and amplify ideas found in surprising places.
In addition, The Goodman announced the creative team who joins previously announced Director (and Elmhurst native) Andrew Scoville and Technology Director Heidi Boisvert, PhD for Theater of the Mind: Technology Producer LeeAnn Rossi, Scenic Designer Neil Patel, Costume Designer Sarita Fellows, Lighting Designer Jeannette Oi-Suk Yew, and Sound Designer Cody Spencer. Completing the creative roster are Associate Scenic Designer Lisa Orzolek, Associate Costume Designer Caryn Klein, Associate Lighting Designer Brian Elston, Associate Sound Designer Forrest Gregor, Local Assistant Scenic Designer Ryan Emens, Assistant Directors Betty Hart and Amanda Berg Wilson, and Assistant Director/Resident Director Maidenwena Alba. The Theater of the Mind production team is comprised of Production Manager Matt Marsden, Technical Director Brian Claggett, Props Department Head Adam Weiss-Halliwell, and General Manager Karen Berry, with the Chicago Scenic Studio scene shop and technology production by Center Stage.
“We’ve received such a warm welcome here in Chicago, so it’s really encouraging to hear the momentum is strong with so many theatergoers (virtually) lining up to experience Theater of the Mind,” said Scoville. “We’re thrilled to be bringing our creative team back together, full of Broadway veterans and technology experts, now in collaboration with the extraordinary talent in Chicagao. Audiences are in for something special.”
A one-of-a-kind theatrical experience audiences will see, feel, taste, and hear, this intimate and immersive journey of how we perceive and create our worlds is inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research. Led by a Guide whose stories are inspired from the creators' lives, audiences will explore how they perceive the world through sensory experiments that reveal the inner mysteries of the brain. Casting for the multiple roles of the Guide will be announced after the new year.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Starting March 11, Theater of the Mind will be staged Tuesday evenings starting at 6 pm; Wednesdays starting at 2 pm; Thursday evenings starting at 6 pm; Friday evenings starting at 5 pm; Saturdays starting at noon; and Sunday afternoons starting at 12:30 pm. Performances begin every 15 minutes, and each includes 16 audience members. A complete schedule can be found at theaterofthemindchicago.com.
ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE
Theater of the Mind makes its Midwest debut during The Goodman’s Centennial 25/26 Season. Since 1925, The Goodman has been 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 world and American premieres, Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” 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. 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.