Laughing Stock Theatre

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United States
Evanston, IL
Laughing Stock Theatre

Laughing Stock Theatre creates and performs substantive, high-quality Commedia dell’Arte https://linktr.ee/LaughingStockChi

06/26/2025

That’s right! We’re down to the last weekend for The Storm of the Century!

Don’t miss out on what audiences are calling a hilarious good time.

Tickets and details at www.laughingstockchi.com

06/22/2025

Hello All – For the safety of our Actors and Audience we have decided to cancel today’s performance due to the Heat Advisory.

Please join us next weekend and keep an eye out for a potential make up show.

Thank you for your support and we hope you all stay cool today!

06/14/2025

Today is the day! Join us at Ridgeville Park 6/14 & 6/15 for our first weekend of shows!

See you soon!

Tickets at the door or at www.laughingstockchi.com

06/11/2025

Take a peek behind the scenes! We added the set and costumes and the show is really starting to sing! We even had some accompaniment for our warm ups 🤣🪘

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th at 5:30pm in Ridgeville Park. 6 shows only!
All tickets are pay what you can and available at the door or you can reserve in advance at www.laughingstockchi.com.

You don’t want to miss this hilarity!

Commediadellarte

06/08/2025

Batten down the hatches! Share your storm stories in the comments and check back to hear from some of our cast. Turns out Mother Nature can get pretty wild…

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/07/2025

It’s getting closer! Opening Night is just one week away!

This fast-paced comedy is fun for all ages so bring your family, friends, coworkers, enemies, and briefest acquaintances as they are sure to enjoy themselves.

Check back for sneak peaks from Tech and make sure to get your tickets today – we wouldn’t want you to miss out 🫣

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/06/2025

Grace Elizabeth Mealey (She/Her)
Stage Manager

Grace is all sunshine and rainbows to return as Stage Manager for The Storm of the Century. Previously with Laughing Stock Theatre: New Work Festival 2025 (Tales of the Ten; Sugar, Spice, & Everyone’s Vice; The Le***an Pirate Show), Alone at Last!; Griffin Theatre Company: Girls & Boys, The House Without A Christmas Tree (Jeff-nominated); CPA Theatricals: Sentinels. Grace Elizabeth recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago, where she studied Theatre and Art History in a B.A. Program with minor in Shakespeare Studies. Gratitude and humility always.

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/05/2025

Steven Yandell (He/Him)
Director

Steve has spent two decades in the Chicago theatre community as an actor, producer, and fundraiser, and he is glad to be returning to work with Laughing Stock for his sixth project with the company. A former and founding ensemble member of Laughing Stock, Steve was trained in Commedia dell’Arte through Laughing Stock, Piccolo Theatre, and under the tutelage of Antonio Fava. Other recent credits include Hal in Proof (Zoomed-in Productions), Paris/Fight Choreographer in Romeo and Juliet (Center Stage in Lake Forest), King Admetus in The Alcestiad (Hyde Park Players), and performing as Sir Henry Lee on the Court and Fight Cast at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/04/2025

Martin Downs* (He/Him)
Bagattino

Like many actors, Martin first heard the term “Commedia dell’Arte” in a high school theater history class. He began to study it in earnest in 2013, as Company Manager and Artistic Director of “The Panini Players” at Northwestern University and he then branched out to the Commedia troupe “At Your Service” at the Bristol Ren Faire from 2016-2018. He was one of the founding members of Laughing Stock Theatre in 2019, and has traveled to Reggio Emilia to study with Antonio Fava multiple times at his Scuola Internazionale dell’Attore Comico. He is a co-owner of LST and its Artistic Director.

*Denotes Ensemble Member

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/03/2025

Shea Lee* (She/Her)
Colombina

Shea Lee is a founding ensemble member of Laughing Stock, where she has co-devised and performed in Alone at Last!, A Tale of Two Houses, Over My Dead Body, and more! She is also a brand-new ensemble member of Lifeline Theatre and has been seen in their productions of Leaf, Cat’s Cradle, and Extra Yarn. Other favorite credits include The Conductors (Kerfuffle TVY), StarDog (Astral Stage Collective), and Mr. Kotomoto is Definitely Not White (NoMads Art Collective). Shea is an alumna of Northwestern University and is represented by Big Mouth Talent.

*Denotes Ensemble Member

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/02/2025

Claire Hart Proepper* (She/Her)
Signora Bianca

Claire Hart Proepper is a founding member and one of the owners of LST in addition to being the Executive Director. She has been performing, directing, and studying Commedia for the past 13 years. Select Commedia performance credits include: Pantalone in Over My Dead Body, Signora Rosaura in The Masquerade; Or, Love is Q***r to Stay, Colombina and Isabella in BirdCoin; Or, The One Where They Learn To Respect Women (Laughing Stock Theatre), Colombina in At Your Service: Commedia dell’Arte (Bristol Renaissance Faire), Rosaura in The Venetian Twins (Piccolo Theatre). Claire received her theatre and history degrees from the University of Virginia and completed Antonio Fava’s Stage Internazionale di Commedia Dell’Arte. She sends her love to her family, friends, her ever-supportive husband, Kurt and their adorable son, Jack.

*Denotes Ensemble Member

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

06/01/2025

Brendon Duran (He/They)
Dottore

Brendon Duran is thrilled to be making their Laughing Stock Theatre debut, and for their return to the theatre for first time since 2020. They are an actor, comedian and theatre educator from the steamy bayous and floodplains of Houston, Texas. Their favorite theatre performances include Aesop’s Adventures at Raven Theatre, Oskar and the Last Straw! tour at Alley Theatre and The Judgement of Fools at Horse Head Theatre. Brendon was a player with ComedySportz Houston from 2011 to 2018, where they were in hundreds of improv shows as a performer, director and producer, and in classes as an instructor and eventually Director of Education. They were also a teaching artist with the Alley Theatre. They’ve performed with indie improv groups in Chicago and across the country, being featured at festivals including Bentwood Comedy Festival (Chicago), Out of Bounds Comedy Festival (Austin) and Trill Comedy Festival (Houston). Brendon is a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134. They earned their BFA in Theatre from the University of Houston in 2015.

The Storm of the Century Opens June 14th and runs until June 29th.
Tickets Available at www.laughingstockchi.com.

Address

908 Seward St
Evanston, IL
60202

Website

http://www.laughingstockchi.com/, https://linktr.ee/LaughingStockChi

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