Court Convening 1

Thursday, November 5, 2026
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Breasted Hall, the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
Free and Open to the Public

In the wake of the 2026 midterm elections, Court Theatre inaugurates its first annual Court Convening, inviting artists, activists, and scholars to debate the importance of interpreting the “classics” for our times.

Part I of this dynamic Town Hall conversation will directly explore the age-old question, “What is a Classic? And why now?”. Chris Jones (Theatre Critic of the Chicago Tribune), Ellen MacKay (Interim Deputy Dean in Arts and Humanities and Senior Advisor to the Provost for the Arts at University of Chicago) and Robert E. Shapiro (Court Theatre Trustee), join Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman to discuss, debate, and dissect this question. 

Part II will feature key artists representing productions from Court Theatre’s 2026/27 season and discussing the ways in which this season’s offerings respond to current conditions and test the various definitions of classic theatre. Participants in Part II include Charlotte Brathwaite (Director, Tituba), Ron OJ Parson (Court Resident Artist and Director, Joe Turner’s Come & Gone), and Denise Yvette Serna (Co-Director, Mojada).

Header image: “Tropicalamerican” by Edra Soto.