upcoming
The Fork in the Road
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Doors @ 5:30PM CT, Stories @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket Pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
There are times in our lives when we are not merely faced with “a” choice; we’re making “the” choice. Sit by or stand up. Find your home here or find it out there. Keep it to yourself or speak up. Play it safe or go for broke. Sometimes we go seeking these pivotal moments by taking the less traveled path; other times it smacks us in the head. Join us for a night when four storytellers take us on their journeys as they discover what matters to them in the choices they make.
Production team:
Curated by CP Chang*
Directed by Brandi Jiminez Lee
Produced by Stacey Saunders
Music by Dionne Addai and Tracie Kunzika
Zoom tech by Shain Longbehn
Featuring stories by:
Kim L. Hunt, Aaron Talley, TL Sellers, Nicholas Ward*
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
A note about ticket sales
In person shows have three ticket levels in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to produce a 2nd Story show. All ticket tiers receive the same show experience.
$125 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.
$25 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and share more stories.
$7 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.
Livestream
2nd Story streams all of its regular season shows on Zoom. The livestream is free, but you do need to register to receive the link. Registration is open until the livestream ends.
Stream Later
Stream later tickets sales now close 24 hours AFTER the event. Example: If a show begins at 6:00pm on Sunday, tickets will remain open until 6:00pm on Monday.
The stream later link is sent out via system email around 12:00pm CT on the day after ticket sales close.
The Birthday Bash
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Michelle’s Ballroom (2800 W. Belmont, Chicago IL, 60618)
This year, our annual Birthday Bash Fundraiser brings The Shape of Courage—our season-long exploration of what it means to show up, speak truth, and hold one another through uncertain times–home to the city we love. Because there’s no better place for those stories than Chicago: a city that meets every challenge with creativity, resilience, and heart.
Chicago’s artists, educators, and neighbors continue to remind us that courage takes many forms. It’s the act of listening with compassion, of telling one’s story aloud, of making space for others to be fully seen. Through that lens, the Birthday Bash is both a celebration and a call to action: an evening of connection, laughter, and powerful storytelling that fuels the programs keeping our city’s stories alive all year long.
Production team:
Curated by Amanda Delheimer*
Directed by Devin Christor
Sound Design by Yongwoo & Linnaea Groh
Produced by Ali Drumm*
Featuring stories by:
Khanisha Foster*, Matt Miller, Karla Estela Rivera*
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
A note about ticket sales
This fundraiser, just like all of our events this season, has three ticket levels in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to produce a 2nd Story event. All ticket tiers receive the same show experience.
$250 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.
$125 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and share more stories.
$50 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.
This party is in-person only, and livestream and stream later ticket options are not available.
Show 7
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Doors @ 5:30PM CT, Stories @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket Pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
Production team:
Curated by LaTanya Lane*
Directed by Devin Christor
Produced by Kasey Trouba
Music by Jake Sorgen
Zoom tech by Shain Longbehn
Featuring stories by:
Jennifer Anglin, Sahar Mustafah, Gregory Pagán-Hill
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
A note about ticket sales
In person shows have three ticket levels in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to produce a 2nd Story show. All ticket tiers receive the same show experience.
$125 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.
$25 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and share more stories.
$7 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.
Livestream
2nd Story streams all of its regular season shows on Zoom. The livestream is free, but you do need to register to receive the link. Registration is open until the livestream ends.
Stream Later
Stream later tickets sales now close 24 hours AFTER the event. Example: If a show begins at 6:00pm on Sunday, tickets will remain open until 6:00pm on Monday.
The stream later link is sent out via system email around 12:00pm CT on the day after ticket sales close.
2nd Story’s Annual Queer Joy Show
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Doors @ 5:30PM CT, Stories @ 6:00PM CT
Haymarket Pub & Brewery (737 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60661)
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.
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.”
Production team:
Curated by Aimy Tien*
Directed by RJ Silva
Produced by Grace Archer
Zoom tech by Shain Longbehn
Featuring stories by:
Byron Flitsch, Brandi Jiminez Lee, jessica young chang*
*denotes 2nd Story company member.
A note about ticket sales
In person shows have three ticket levels in order to increase financial accessibility and transparency around what it actually costs to produce a 2nd Story show. All ticket tiers receive the same show experience.
$125 - This ticket level reflects Transparency. It covers the real cost of creating a 2nd Story experience.
$25 - This ticket level reflects Balance. Less than full cost, it helps us grow and share more stories.
$7 - This ticket level reflects Care. It’s here for ease–so everyone can be a part of the story without financial strain.
Livestream
2nd Story streams all of its regular season shows on Zoom. The livestream is free, but you do need to register to receive the link. Registration is open until the livestream ends.
Stream Later
Stream later tickets sales now close 24 hours AFTER the event. Example: If a show begins at 6:00pm on Sunday, tickets will remain open until 6:00pm on Monday.
The stream later link is sent out via system email around 12:00pm CT on the day after ticket sales close.