The blurb is: hahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahaha hihihi hahahahahahaha hoho hahahhahaha hehe hahahahahahahahahaha.
Julia Masli’s award-winning solo phenomenon ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (a New York Times Top Pick of the Year) arrives at Steppenwolf Theatre Company for a four week engagement January 13 – February 7, 2027 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets are available at steppenwolf.org/hahahahahahaha or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Friday, January 15, 2027 at 7:30 pm.
Performer Julia Masli creates a hilarious, yet moving and unpredictable live experience at the intersection of comedy and performance. What begins as playful improvisation evolves into a collective ritual of vulnerability, care and unexpected humor. Masli explores the subtle boundary between a laugh and a tear, proving that one lies very close to the other.
Utterly unlike anything else onstage, this is a completely different experience every night that keeps audiences coming back again and again.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha arrives in Chicago following critically acclaimed and sold-out runs at The Public Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, SoHo Playhouse in New York City, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, London’s Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Steppenwolf’s Creative Producer Patrick Zakem shares, “There’s nothing quite like this remarkable, wholly indescribable show. After I first saw the show, bleary-eyed in the early morning hours at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I immediately knew I had to tell everyone I know to see it. We’re thrilled to finally bring this acclaimed performance to Chicago, and Steppenwolf is excited to collaborate with Julia for the first in-the-round presentation of this work that has built a sea of fans across the world.”
What the critics are saying:
“Masli’s breakthrough, poignant show has its audience in stitches. So, that’s how cults are born.”
–The New York Times
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is “a great unexpected carnival of mutual care, ring-led with a featherlight touch by a clown whose mischief is matched only by her compassion.”
–The Guardian
"New York's wildest show” –New York Magazine
“A comedy masterpiece” –The Guardian
“An experiment in collective consciousness." –LA Times
“A jaw-dropping delight.” –The Times
About Julia Masli and the show:
Julia Masli is an award-winning clown from Estonia, based in London. All she wants to do is solve people’s problems and eventually win the Nobel Prize, presented to those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. But this plan keeps going wrong as she continually wins prizes for comedy. It was bad enough when she was the winner of the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality in 2019 and her debut show CHOOSH – about a migrant’s struggles in the USA – was one of the most acclaimed comedy shows of the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022.
But in 2023, things spiraled when she set out to help audience members in ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, which you can read about in the New York Times here. This serious, important event was nominated for Edinburgh’s top prize for Best Comedy Show and named number one comedy show of the year by The Guardian, before being invited for a four-week, completely sold-out run at London’s Soho Theatre. Despite the seriousness of Julia’s intentions, the show was once more shortlisted for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, nominated for Edinburgh's top prize of Best Comedy Show and the SKY Arts Best Comedy Award, and declared number one comedy show of the year by The Guardian.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is a Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company touring production.
Creative Team:
Created and Performed by Julia Masli
Directed by Kim Noble
Sound Design conceived by Alessio Festuccia
Lighting Design conceived by Lily Woodford
Co-Lighting Design by Jennifer Fok
Live Sound Design by Sebastián Hernández
Live Lighting Design and Stage Management by Sarah Chapin
Costume Design by Alice Wedge, Annika Thiems and David Curtis-Ring
Production Details:
Dates: Previews: Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14, 2027 at 7:30 pm
Press performance/Opening: Friday, January 15, 2027 at 7:30 pm
Regular run: Saturday, January 16 – Sunday, February 7, 2027
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a 3 pm performance on Saturday, January 16, 2026.
Tickets: Previews: Pay-what-you-want ($15 - $60). Regular run: ($37.50* - $85.00*). Single tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org/hahahahahahaha or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. *Ticket prices include processing fees.
Accessibility:
Steppenwolf is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access. If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, email access@steppenwolf.org or call our box office at (312) 335-1650.
Sponsor Information:
United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul Angell Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Jessica and Dominic Green Family Fund, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, and Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier Ensemble Theater with 51 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the early phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and more recently, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1974 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of friends in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a school in Highland Park, Illinois. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.
Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.