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2025 Chicago Writers' Bloc New Play Festival

Chicago Writers' Bloc

The Chicago Writers' Bloc presents its 2025 Festival of New Plays, consisting of staged readings of 8 plays and musicals by Chicago playwrights, composers, and lyricists. All performances will be presented at City Lit Theater located at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.

Main

November 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 19, 20 2025

Available Pricing Options

  • General Admission : $25.00

Performances

Sun Nov 02 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

MERRY WIDOWS, a musical by Joanne Koch, Diane Dorsey, Francesca Peppiatt, and Ilya Levinson

Mon Nov 03 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

3-WAY MIRROR, a play by Blake Levinson

Thu Nov 06 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

HEART OF CHAC, a play by Chloe Bolan

Sun Nov 09 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE, a play by Lawrence Adelson

Wed Nov 12 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

STAR HARVEST, a play by Wencke Braathen

Tue Nov 18 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

A COYOTE SOLSTICE TALE, a musical by Elizabeth Doyle

Wed Nov 19 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

SEXTET, a musical by Elisabeth Howard and Jeffery Lyle Segal

Thu Nov 20 2025 - 7:30 PM CST

POSSESSED, a musical by June Finfer and Michael Hanko

 

11/2 Merry Widows, the Musical 

By Joanne Koch, Diane Dorsey, Francesca Peppiatt and Ilya Levinson. 

Women and Men from late twenties to their sixties find music and their grief group, a way to deal with losing their partners and having to fly solo. Music by Grammy nominee Ilya Levinson. Lyrics by Francesco Peppiatt. Book by Joanne Koch and Diane Dorsey.

 

11/3 3-Way Mirror

By Blake Levinson

Inspired by real events, this two-act psychodrama follows the beautiful Patina, an aging actress whose tragic childhood led her to improvise and distort the lines of her haunting past so thoroughly and often, she now completely believes her own well-rehearsed lies. Desperate for work, she agrees to serve as the muse for a local writing contest, where three aspiring playwrights each craft a short play based on their interviews with her. But during Patina’s live cold readings, their unpolished but reflective scripts become a shattering three-way mirror that ignites an internal spotlight—forcing her to finally confront all the long-buried truths, while facing the final curtain of her life.

 

11/3 Heart of Chac 

By Chloe Bolan

Gives the audience a look into ancient and contemporary Mayan culture. The play's premise is that a down-on-her-luck woman uses her psychic gifts to become a detective searching for a woman artist missing in Mexico. The artist, Illet Topaz, paints everyday Mayans and is beloved by them. Three men, her husband, her mentor, and her boss, are all looking for her, and soon the psychic detective will be hired to find her.  



11/9 Mother of the Bride 

By Lawrence Adelson, Gregory Becker, Nicholas Davio, and 

Chancey Davis-Mauney.

Alice runs Wonder, an unlicensed after-hours disco. She lives by her own rules, charming and conning people to get what she wants. She drinks. A lot. The Regulars at Wonder are her found family. Alice’s daughter, Wendy, comes to Wonder to tell Alice she is getting married. Alice is not invited, because Alice gets drunk at family gatherings. Alice lies and tells Wendy she is sober. Everyone expects to get what they want from the wedding. Alice believes she will finally get the respect she deserves as Wendy’s mother. Alice feels bad about lying to Wendy. With the help of The Regulars, Alice quits drinking. Sober, Alice realizes Wendy should not marry Hendrick, but also realizes she will take the blame if she breaks up the wedding.

 

11/12 Star Harvest

By Wencke Braathen with Nick Pardo as dramaturg and director. 

Some aliens have figured out how to harvest life energy from humans. We follow them through some highlights of human history until there is a shift involving Napoleon, and surprising help arrives to guide the earthlings, who do not want any help, thank you very much. 

 

11/18 A Coyote Solstice Tale 

By Elisabeth Doyle and Don Gecewicz

A modern classical music take on Canadian author Thomas King’s award-winning children’s book, “A Coyote Solstice Tale,” with music by Elizabeth Doyle and a libretto by Don Gecewicz. This family theater piece deals with nature, consumerism and friendship with those not like us - important issues for kids and parents, especially around the holidays.

 

11/19 SEXTET 

By Elizabeth Howard and Jeffery Lyle Segal 

A polyamorous musical, co-written by Elisabeth Howard, in the 70's in New York. The new book is co-authored by Elisabeth Howard and the amazingly talented Jeffery Lyle Segal, who will also be our Director. And.... Our Music Director is the awesome Howie Pfeifer!

 

11/20 Possessed 

By June Finfer and Michael Hanko

A time-travel mystery musical - Marianne wants to live in the past, until she gets her wish. A Door County story of love and delusion.

 

On Sale

Sep 23, 2025 at 10:00am to

Nov 20, 2025 at 10:00pm

Venue

City Lit Theater

Genre

Website

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