Ayanna Bria Bakari (top) and Jalen Gilbert (bottom) in a promotional image for TimeLine Theatre Company’s “Too Heavy for Your Pocket”/Photo: Kenny Nakai, Nakai Photography

1
Too Heavy for Your Pocket
(TimeLine Theatre Company)
With the opportunity to become a Freedom Rider, a young man leaves his obligations as a husband and friend behind to join the fight against racism in the Deep South.
Opens May 1

2
The Undeniable Sound of Right Now
(Raven Theatre)
The proprietor of a legendary Chicago rock club must battle the rising tide of The Next Big Thing as it threatens to destroy his legacy and fracture his family in this local premiere by Laura Eason.
Opens May 6

3
La Havana Madrid
(Teatro Vista & Collaboraction)
Back by popular demand, Teatro Vista and Collaboraction ensemble member Sandra Delgado’s immersive documentary theater experience (complete with live music) tells the true story of the 1960s Chicago nightclub of the same name.
Opens May 17

4
Life On Paper
(Jackalope Theatre)
A brilliant mathematician’s knack for devaluing lives has made him the darling of the insurance companies, but what will he do when the wrongful death of a billionaire philanthropist crosses his desk and the future of a small town hangs in the balance?
Opens May 21

5
Queen of the Mist
(Firebrand Theatre)
A new musical based on the astounding and outrageous true story of Anna (Annie) Edson Taylor, who, in 1901, set out to be the first person to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel of her own design.
Opens May 28