Public Programs

Complementing the world premiere of Berlin, we’re presenting a suite of public programs exploring the play, its themes, and its modern relevance. These programs will span the run of this production, providing ample opportunities for engagement.

Tour of Chicago Puppets Up Close | April 5, 2025 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Join curators Grace Needlman (Co-Director of the Chicago Puppet Lab) and Will Bishop for a tour and interactive exploration of the exhibit, Potential Energy: Chicago Puppets Up Close. Following the tour, enjoy a guided introduction to the Buddy Store, a collaboration between the Public Media Institute and DCASE showcasing local artists and small businesses. 

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

Agora Series: Resistance & Resilience Strategies | April 12, 2025 | 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Join Court Theatre at Co-Prosperity – an experimental cultural center located in the Bridgeport neighborhood – for the next installment of the Agora Series, produced in partnership with the Public Media Institute. The afternoon will include intimate breakout discussions with local artivists and activists whose efforts uplift vulnerable communities and advocate for social justice initiatives in Chicago and beyond.   

Produced in partnership with the Public Media Institute.

Jason Lutes Conversation and Book Signing | April 25, 2025 | 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Join graphic novelist Jason Lutes in conversation with scholar Dr. Evan H. Carver as they discuss Lutes’s expansive work, Berlin, the original graphic novel looking at the fall of the Weimar Republic through the eyes of its citizens and the source text for Court Theatre’s world premiere adaptation.

Presented in partnership with Seminary Co-Op Bookstores.

Post-Show Conversation with Jason Lutes, Charles Newell, and David J. Levin | April 25, 2025 | 9:30pm

Join director Charles Newell and dramaturg David J. Levin in conversation with comics creator Jason Lutes, author of Berlin – the source text for Court Theatre’s world premiere adaptation. Listen as these three creatives discuss their process, inspiration, and their respective artistic mediums.

Books & Banners of the People | April 26, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Join us at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum for a communal arts activation to celebrate the world premiere of Berlin. In this activation – consisting of a shared meal, a bookmaking workshop, and collective reflection – multidisciplinary artist and educator Silvia Ines Gonzalez will draw on Berlin’s themes of resistance and how knowledge is cultivated and spread in our communities.

Presented in partnership with the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

Cabaret Film Screening | May 2, 2025 | 7:00pm – 9:15pm

Berlin, 1931. Amid ascendant fascism in Weimar Germany, fame-seeking American émigré Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli) sings at a bawdy cabaret whose host (an effortless Joel Gray) and musical acts celebrate the unprecedented sexual freedom of the short-lived era. Join us for this remarkable Technicolor film print from the Film Studies Center collection.

Presented in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center.

Notes on Masculinity: A Drag King-Centered Cabaret | May 2, 2025 | 8:30pm

Veteran performers Po’Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder host this bimonthly drag king-centered cabaret, where performers showcase the diversity of masculine drag with numbers that are equal parts entertaining, comedic, and provocative.

Presented in partnership with Po’Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder.

Video and header images from “The Concord Hour,” directed by Damon Locks and Rob Shaw; still from Cabaret (1972) dir. Bob Fosse.

Presented in partnership with

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Presented in partnership with

Presented in partnership with

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Presented in partnership with Po’Chop and Switch the Boi Wonder