Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Chicago's only professional theater that seeks to advance women through the power of storytelling, announces its 30th Anniversary Season of new plays written by women, and its annual new play festival. All productions will take place in Rivendell’s home, 5779 N. Ridge Avenue in Chicago.
The new Riv Pass is available for only $95 and includes a ticket to each of the three shows, plus invitations to special readings and events. Riv Pass holders may attend each production as many times as they’d like and special benefits, including reserved seating, are included. While the Riv Pass is non-transferable, purchasing the Riv Pass for as a gift is encouraged. The Riv Pass is available at (773) 334-7728 or www.RivendellTheatre.org.
Rivendell is celebrating three decades of groundbreaking, women-centered storytelling with new works that embody its legacy of centering women's voices, sparking crucial dialogues and advocating for women. This season is both a celebration of Rivendell’s award-winning past and an invitation to experience the bold narratives shaping the future.
The World Premiere season includes Pivot by Alex Lubischer, Do Something Pretty by Melissa Ross and Bonnie’s Last Flight by Eliza Bent. The season kicks-off with the annual new play festival “Fresh Produce,” and continuation of the immersive and collaborative development process for a theatrical production of 2026 MacArthur fellow Tonika Lewis Johnson’s Folded Map.
Artistic Director Tara Mallen comments, “Our 30th anniversary marks a pivotal moment for Rivendell and we are meeting that moment by offering a full slate of innovative new works—offering fresh perspectives and serving as a catalyst for imperative conversations. With the urgent realities of political and civic turmoil, federal funding disappearing, and women’s basic human rights under direct attack, there has never been a more critical time for the work we do, the voices we lift, and the stories we tell. As we look ahead, I can’t wait to see how the next 30 years will unfold as we continue to inspire, challenge, and transform our audiences.”
The 30th Anniversary Season includes:
FRESH PRODUCE: A Celebration of New Plays by Women
November 10- December 6, 2025
Curated by RTE Director of New Work Caroline Uy
Launched in 2004, Rivendell’s Fresh Produce is known for supporting the development of risky, innovative, and compelling new work. During each series, RTE selects an exciting slate of new plays, then nurtured through an intensive workshop process culminating in a public sharing and a moderated dialogue between artists and audience. The 2025 Fresh Produce playwrights will be announced soon.
PIVOT
A world premiere by Alex Lubischer
Directed by RTE Member Hallie Gordon
February 8 – March 22, 2026
This exciting world premiere by Alex Lubischer (Bobbie Clearly, You Deserve to be Here), a Chicago-based, Jeff Award-winning playwright originally from rural Nebraska, is directed by longtime Rivendell Ensemble member and current Senior Associate Director at the Olney Theatre Center Hallie Gordon (Eat Your Heart Out, Dry Land, Cal in Camo) and featuring ensemble members Ashley Neal, Keith Kupferer, Glenn Obrero, and Artistic Director Tara Mallen with Eric Slater as Assistant Director.
All Kara wants is a giant wedding reception and a solid three-year crop rotation plan for the farm. But when her wedding plans blow up in her face, Kara is prepared to upend the entire town of Milton, Nebraska to fight for the future that should have been hers. Save the date for this dark comedy about getting your way, making a scene, and father-daughter dances to the Chicks.
DO SOMETHING PRETTY
A world premiere by Melissa Ross
Directed by Jessica Fisch
May 2 - June 6, 2026
Written by Melissa Ross (The Luckiest, Thinner Than Water, Nice Girl, A Life Extra Ordinary) and directed by Rivendell favorite Jessica Fisch (The Firebirds Take the Field, I Want to F**king Tear You Apart), this world premiere production marks RTE “junior” member Katherine Mallen Kupferer’s Rivendell debut.
Summer of 1992. The United States is in a recession. Arkansas governor Bill Clinton is about to run for president. Kurt is married to Courtney. Yo MTV Raps is on the television. And Zach Morris is the only kid with a cell phone.
On a hot August night in a small Massachusetts town. The last few weeks before school starts. Three teens try to navigate their way through the murky path to adulthood. Phoebe wants to grow up. Jason wants Evie. And Evie just wants to get as far away from everyone as she possibly can.
BONNIE’S LAST FLIGHT
A World premiere written by Eliza Bent
Directed by RTE Member Devon de Mayo
September 4 - October 11, 2026
Bonnie’s Last Flight is written by Eliza Bent, (Karen, I Said, The Regulars) on faculty at Northwestern University, and is directed by longtime RTE member Devon de Mayo (Scientific Method, Laura and the Sea, The Tasters), Director of Performance in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago.
It’s Jan’s retirement flight. Everyone knows, except for Greig, Jan’s best friend and coworker of many years. As Greig waxes nostalgic, Jan worries about life post-retirement. LeeAnne, a klutzy newbie flight attendant with a dark past, must avoid her ex on the plane while Captain, a waggish pilot with a weakness for Bloody Marys, is caught in a love triangle. Erik, the co-pilot with a heart of gold, can’t get a word in edgewise. Presiding over the flight is the OG of travel: Mark Twain.
In a comedy set on everyone’s least favorite mode of transit, we must reckon with our crew’s dreams and regrets and ask ourselves: What does it take to really start living?
The Folded Map Project
In Development
Rivendell's immersive and collaborative devising process continues with The Folded Map Project, a groundbreaking play created in collaboration with artist, activist and 2026 MacArthur fellow Tonika Lewis Johnson.
Led by a dynamic team of writers, performers, designers and community advocates, to engage with real-life stories from Tonika’s transformative Folded Map Project, highlighting the divides in Chicago's neighborhoods. This past summer, the artist team convened in partnership with University of Chicago's Performance Lab for a session that culminated in a public sharing of the work-in-progress script.
Rivendell’s aim for the Folded Map is to produce a fully realized theatrical production, inspired by the Folded Map Project, creating a pathway to social justice for all who experience it.
About Rivendell Theatre Ensemble’s 30th Anniversary Campaign:
The 30th anniversary marks a pivotal moment for Rivendell and the company is meeting that moment by launching a special fundraising campaign. As part of this campaign, the RTE Board is hosting a series of specially curated events to commemorate and underwrite Rivendell’s role as an important platform for new women’s voices.
Rivendell is the leader in new play development for women playwrights and a major platform for emerging writers and artists as the only women-focused Equity storefront theatre in Chicago. The company has earned 16 Joseph Jefferson awards and nominations in our 57-production history. In an average year, we serve about 200 artists and 3,500 audience members, partner with other theatre companies both in Chicago and nationally, practice direct audience engagement, and perform extensive community outreach initiatives.
For more information about Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, visit http://rivendelltheatre.org. Follow Rivendell on Facebook at Facebook.com/rivendelltheatre and on Instagram at @rivendelltheatre.
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble is supported by generous grants from: SIF Fund at The Chicago Community Trust; ArtsWork Fund: TERRA Foundation for American Art; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Shubert Foundation; Bayless Family Foundation; Driehaus Foundation; Illinois Arts Council Agency; and The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation.