First Floor Theater

05/31/2026

"This play is itself a testament to that very spirit, to our desire to hold fast to all the things that make us human." —Shane Hogan, Manage the Stage

Read more on Manage the Stage about our hilarious and unsettling absurdity comedy about corporations and service.

We're entering the final stretch of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY with only two chances left this weekend. Get your tickets before we close June 6!

managethestage.substack.com/p/smiling-through-the-pain

First Floor Theater’s ‘Work Hard Have Fun Make History’ is like getting bunch of bricks thrown at you

05/28/2026

Tomorrow begins the final two weekends of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY— a "...a theatrical experience of existential dread and cerebral laughs" (BroadwayWorld)

Don’t miss your chance to catch the absurdist comedy before we close June 6. Tickets at firstfloortheater.com/work-hard-have-fun-make-history

📸 Michael Brosilow

Scenic Design by Spencer Donovan
Costume Design by Nathan Rohrer
Lighting Design by Conchita Avitia
Sound Design by Jae Robinson
Props Design by Lolo Ramos

05/27/2026

Experience Tina El Gamal's thrilling direction in reid tang's experimental comedy.

WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY continues performances this weekend at the Raven Theatre

Get tickets at firstfloortheater.com/work-hard-have-fun-make-history

05/27/2026

From our friends at Rivendell Theatre Ensemble:

The next world premiere in Rivendell’s 30th Anniversary Season

DO SOMETHING PRETTY by Melissa Ross�
Directed by Jessica Fisch
Featuring RTE member Katherine Mallen Kupferer in her Rivendell debut with Jasper Johnson, Reilly Oh and Jocelyn Zamudio

Summer of 1992. The United States is in a recession. Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is about to run for president. Kurt is married to Courtney. Yo MTV Raps is on the TV. And Zach Morris is the only kid with a cell phone.

On a hot August night in a small Massachusetts town the last few weeks before school starts. Three teens try to navigate their way through the murky path to adulthood. Phoebe wants to grow up. Jason wants Evie. And Evie just wants to get as far away from everyone as she possibly can.

Now extended through June 14th!

Tickets at rivendelltheatre.org/dosomethingpretty

05/27/2026

Coming up next: Netta Walker, our 2026 Blueprint Commission recipient!

Her play, "Nordica", draws inspiration George S. Schuyler’s Harlem Renaissance novel "Black No More" and will explore culture, mythology, and identity through a contemporary lens.

The Blueprint Commission is made possible with the generous support of Michael and Mona Heath.

05/20/2026

Get an inside look into the warehouses of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY.

reid tang's absurdist comedy that "isn’t afraid to get weird" (Chicago Tribune) continues performances this weekend at the Raven Theatre.

Get your tickets for this limited run at firstfloortheater.com/work-hard-have-fun-make-history

📹 Rhett Thompson

Scenic Design by Spencer Donovan
Costume Design by Nathan Rohrer
Lighting Design by Conchita Avitia
Sound Design by Jae Robinson
Props Design by Lolo Ramos

05/16/2026

“WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY uncovers truths about our current moment and where we are headed if nothing changes through genre-bending depth and humor.” — Angelina Lin, BroadwayWorld Chicago.

Don’t miss our Chicago premiere by reid tang—“a theatrical experience of existential dread and cerebral laughs.”

When you really stop to think about it, the late stage capitalist grind we find ourselves in (or rather, that billionaires and certain politicians have forced upon us) has created a disembodied culture marked by rampant labor, optimized efficiency, and fractured connections — and that’s a pretty...

05/16/2026

Happy opening to the entire team of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY!

We're so excited to celebrate your amazing work in bringing this absurdist experimental comedy to life.

YES / OPEN / BABY / HUMAN / JEFF | Sahar Dika
NO / STOP / LEFT / NO BABY | Jenn Geiger
MACHINE / GO / CLOSED / RIGHT / YOUNG / ELON | Alice Wu
YES / OPEN / BABY / HUMAN / JEFF U/S | Joelle Denhof
NO / STOP / LEFT / NO BABY U/S| Kennedy Frazier
MACHINE / GO / CLOSED / RIGHT / YOUNG / ELON U/S| Maliha Sayed

Playwright | reid tang
Director | Tina El Gamal
Assistant Director/Dramaturg | Olivia Gregorich
Stage Manager | Kendyl Meyer*
Assistant Stage Manager | Eve Pahoresky
Scenic Designer | Spencer Donovan*
Lighting Designer | Conchita Avitia*
Sound Designer | Jae Robinson
Props Designer | Lolo Ramos
Costume Designer | Nathan Rohrer
Violence and Intimacy Director |Samantha Kaufman
Technical Director | Peter Wilde
Production Electrician | Brendan Marble

05/15/2026

Get ready to experience the absurdist fantasy of WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY—now playing until June 6th at the Raven Theatre.

Tickets available online and in-person all weekend long.

Learn more at firstfloortheater.com/work-hard-have-fun-make-history

📸 Michael Brosilow

Scenic Design by Spencer Donovan
Costume Design by Nathan Rohrer
Lighting Design by Conchita Avitia
Sound Design by Jae Robinson
Props Design by Lolo Ramos

05/12/2026

The Daily Herald featured our experimental comedy in their Theater Spotlight for the week!

Filled with "surreal encounters and fractured conversations", WORK HARD HAVE FUN MAKE HISTORY has its final preview tomorrow night at the Raven Theatre.

Limited $10 and $15 tickets are still available. Book yours at firstfloortheater.com/work-hard-have-fun-make-history

‘Spamalot’ returns “Spamalot,” the musical by Eric Idle and John Du Prez “lovingly ripped off” from the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” returns to Chicago for a brief...