SEASON 26
Hot on the heels of our 25th Anniversary Season, 2nd Story is back for a whole new year of real stories by real people for real change.
Our deeply held belief that personal stories can build a bolder and kinder world is seen in every story we tell, every show we produce, every class we teach, and every workshop we facilitate. As part of this work, this year we’ll bring you nine unique live events that you can join in person, enjoy in the moment remotely via Zoom, or plan to stream later.
Click on our season calendar to grab your very own printable schedule—suitable for making your computer’s desktop image, hanging on the fridge, or turning into a t-shirt—to help you make sure you won’t miss a moment this year.
You Are Here, Now.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
We are living in a world of readymade “shoulds:” guidelines for when and where we’re supposed to do what, and with whom, in order to live a good life. None of these guideposts are neutral—they’re laden with contradictions, hidden suffering, and impossible ideals. But our storytellers are writing their own lives, navigating some difficult ish with mad grace. Join us!
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Shepsara Satimu*
Directed by Brandi Jiminez Lee
Music by Jeff Schaller
Produced by Ema Kester
Sound Engineered by Michael Benedict
Featuring Stories by:
Stephanie Chavara*, Eric Charles May*, and Ana P. Martín Sagredo
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
NO MORE WAIT AND SEE
Sunday, October 13, 2024
DOORS @ 6:30PM CT, STORIES @ 7:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
There are so many times in our lives that we’re told, “Just wait and see.” And yes, sometimes patience is exactly what’s required; there are many, many things (growing a baby, building trust, healing) that Cannot Be Rushed. BUT what about those things that demand action—when the phrase “just wait and see” is dismissive, even harmful. We cannot “just wait and see” about poverty or injustice or civil rights. Join our storytellers as they weave three brand new stories about moments in their lives that called for action, and how they rose to the moment before them.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Amanda Delheimer*
Directed by ILesa Duncan
Produced by Stacey Saunders
Music by Nathan Kistler
Sound Engineering by Yongwoo
Featuring Stories by:
Sadaf Ferdowsi, Martinique Haller*, Wyl Villacres
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
Origins, Destinations, Departures, Connections.
Sunday, November 3, 2024
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
Every person’s life changes: sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once, sometimes in ways we want them to but just as often in ways we’d rather they didn’t. One mind disappears while another slowly fades away. One person becomes a ghost, but another then becomes a perfect memory. One home vanishes, but another arises ready to take its place. In this edition of 2nd Story, our tellers present three new stories of looking back, of moving forward, and of how and where we find the strength to face whatever may await us over the horizon.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Andrew Reilly*
Directed by Alyssa Vera Ramos
Produced by Stacey Saunders
Music by Jake Sorgen
Sound Engineering by Chijioke Anwan Williams
Featuring Stories by:
Liz Blondel*, CP Chang*, RJ Silva
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
THIS WAY UP
Sunday, December 8, 2024
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
Chaos gets a bad wrap. Sure it’s impossible to know which way is up and the uncertainty can cause some stellar anxiety. Still, after the melee has ended, there are often gems hidden in the debris - gems like kindness, your own fortitude, and grateful acceptance of your loved one’s limitations. This month our storytellers navigate those chaotic moments, neither dismissing the difficulties nor ignoring the gifts. Join us.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by LaTanya Lane*
Directed by Jess Hutchinson
Produced by Jenna Meyers
Music by Sami Scot
Sound Engineering by Chijioke Anwan Williams
Featuring Stories by:
Lynnette Li, Abra Millman, and Claudette Roper & Dion
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
THE INNER COMPASS
Sunday, January 26, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
Identity can be both innate and shaped by context and environment. It can both inform our choices and cause our identity to evolve moment by moment, choice by choice. But what happens when something happens to challenge our sense of self? When our circumstances drive us to grow—or unravel—in unexpected ways? What version of ourselves do we owe to others?
Join us for three compelling stories that delve into the complexities of identity: as a source of stability, as fluid and atmospheric, and as an ongoing process of discovery and becoming. Perhaps the journey to understanding ourselves is as much about navigating the maps we inherit as it is about forging new paths.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Deb Lewis*
Directed by Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke*
Produced by Stephen Patrick Bell
Music by Nathan Kistler
FEATURING STORIES BY:
Audry Farber, Maegan Gwaltney, Geneva Norman
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
MIRRORS OF EMPATHY
Sunday, February 23, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
Empathy (among other human experiences)often guides how we move through the world and interact with others. However, our capacity to access empathy is sometimes not innate but a mindful choice. Some use that brave choice to learn from the past to seek a love that mirrors their experience with family, friends, and lovers. Join our storytellers as they explore the unique magic that weaves together love and the African American experience.
About 2nd Story’s "Point of View'' Programming
This show is presented as part of 2nd Story's "Point of View" programming. Given the nature of 2nd Story's work and the diversity of artists we collaborate with, we have the unique opportunity to build community among and share the stories of marginalized groups by building teams for our shows that share a particular point of view. It is our honor to be a conduit for these collaborations. This show is led, produced, and performed by Black artists and will be focused around themes of Black love.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Earliana “Earl” McLaurin*
Directed by Devin Christor
Produced by Stacey Saunders
Music by Dionne Addai and Tracie Kunzika
FEATURING STORIES BY:
McKenzie Chinn + Mykele Deville, Kim Hunt, Darren Meyers.
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
against the weight of the world
Sunday, March 23, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
The weight of ALL OF IT can feel oppressive right now. For our storytellers, that weight takes the form of the history of ancestors, of capitalism and the systems we are complicit in, and even of the limits of our own mortal body. Life can feel for us, and for our loved ones, unbearable. And yet despite the darkness, we discover the surprise connection, the escape hatch we always needed, or the unexpected gift of vulnerability. Join us on March 23 and find your community, find your purpose, and find yourself.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by CP Chang*
Directed by Aliza Feder
Produced by Julia Alvarez
Sound Designed by Michael Benedict
FEATURING STORIES BY:
Rukmini Girish, Jessica Kadish-Hernández*, Connie Shirakawa
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
Just Beyond Our Reach
Sunday, May 18, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
The universe wants the best for us. Let's decide to believe that and celebrate the moments when we lean in and claim a bit more for ourselves, trusting it won't leave any less for everybody else. These stories, set in the illusory world of the theatre, on a dreamy vacation, and amidst the confusion of dating - remind us that just because fantasy is involved doesn't mean something real isn't happening. Reaching out for the things that are on their way, but not fully in our grasp just yet, is part of the process.
Download the program - text only.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Julie Ganey*
Directed by Devin Christor
Produced by Kasey Trouba
Music by Jake Sorgen
FEATURING STORIES BY:
Madeline Bourdenko*, Earliana McLaurin*, Timothy Rey
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
Coming Home
Sunday, June 1, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
It's 2025, and the world feels chaotic. In the midst of the mess, we gather ourselves, resilient and unbroken. Coming Home is a celebration of queer joy in all of its tender, radiant forms: the warmth of sunlit coffee tables, the comfort of something delicious sizzling on the stove, the steady presence of chosen family holding your hand. Our tellers lay bare the strings of community, family, and self as they weave new worlds from the threads of the old—finding peace, creating belonging, and building the homes our ancestors dreamed of and our children deserve.
Download the program - text only.
A Message from show Curator Aimy Tien
“I am obsessed with celebrating and sharing queer joy. It's why this is an annual show. Queer people and queerness can be found everywhere and in everything, and yet giving life to our queer selves and finding (or building) a queer community can still be incredibly difficult. We’ve been curating queer and queer joy shows for years now because queer joy is important and essential to celebrate.”
About 2nd Story’s "Point of View'' Programming
Given the nature of 2nd Story's work and the diversity of artists we collaborate with, we have the unique opportunity to build community among and share the stories of marginalized groups by building teams for our shows that share a particular point of view. It is our honor to be a conduit for these collaborations. Created and produced entirely by a team of LGBTQIA+ artists, this show our annual celebration of unbridled queer joy.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Aimy Tien*
Directed by Christine Thoren
Produced by Stephen Patrick Bell
Sound Designed by Yongwoo and Linnaea Groh
FEATURING STORIES BY:
Kirsten Baity, Karla Estela Rivera*, Mo Shipley
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
MIGRATIONS
Sunday, June 22, 2025
DOORS @ 5:30PM CT, STORIES @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
What does it mean to belong? How does the experience of migration echo through generations, shaping identity, memory, and home? The beautiful final show in our 26th season explores the emotional aftermath of immigration, the complexity of where we’re from, and the search for home through four deeply personal narratives that span time, culture, and family. These stories confront the tension between assimilation and authenticity, the complexity of racial and cultural ambiguity, and the longing to feel rooted in a world shaped by movement. From lived experience to inherited memory, they reveal how migration is not a single moment, but a legacy. Migrations invites us to consider not just where we come from—but what it takes to truly arrive.
About 2nd Story’s "Point of View'' Programming
Given the nature of 2nd Story's work and the diversity of artists we collaborate with, we have the unique opportunity to build community among and share the stories of marginalized groups by building teams for our shows that share a particular point of view. It is our honor to be a conduit for these collaborations. This show is created and produced entirely by a team of artists with significant relationships to immigration, migration, and the complex idea of where we are “from.”
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Curated by Jim Lupo
Directed by RJ Silva
Produced by Julia Alvarez
Sound Designed by Yongwoo and Linnaea Groh
FEATURING STORIES BY:
Kimberly Acosta, Jenan Mohajir*, Coya Paz, Connie Shirakawa
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
A FEW FAQ’s
HOW MUCH DO TICKETS COST?
We invite you to choose your ticket price based on which ticket price feels most appropriate for you and your circumstances. Keep in mind, when you buy a Leader or Standard ticket, it allows us to offer a discounted ticket to 2nd Story events and performances.
When do ticket sales end?
Online sales for in-person tickets will end 24 hours in advance of the performance. Additional tickets for the in-person show may be purchased at the door starting at 30 minutes before the show, subject to availability.
Stream Later tickets close at midnight on the day of the show. The Stream Later link is sent out around noon on the Monday following the performance. Please be sure you have not unsubscribed from 2nd Story's emails!
Audience members can register for virtual tickets (i.e. the livestream of the show) through the end of the show.
WHAT STEPS ARE YOU TAKING TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY FOR THIS EVENT?
2nd Story events are for everyone. 2nd Story is committed to making our programming inclusive to everyone. We believe there is no endpoint to inclusion, and we take our responsibility for accessible programming seriously. We are actively engaged in the process of expanding the services below, and we look forward to building upon them in the next season and beyond.
Please refer to this page for additional information about our venues.
If you require another access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact us at info@2ndstory.com. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE RESUMED IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, IS THERE STILL A VIRTUAL OPTION FOR ME TO WATCH THE PERFORMANCE?
YES! Although we are producing in-person, we will continue to offer an option for folks to tune into live performances virtually as well as purchase a three-week pass to watch the recorded performance.
HOW DO THE VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES & EXPERIENCES HAPPEN?
2nd Story uses the conferencing system Zoom. After you sign up you'll get an email the day of the event with the Zoom access code to join the event. Don’t have Zoom? Download it for FREE here