Kathleen Hagerty Provost | Northwestern University
The Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts at Northwestern University's Evanston Campus has announced its 2025-26 season, focusing on themes of resilience and resistance. Tanya Palmer, artistic director of the Wirtz Center and assistant dean of Northwestern’s School of Communication, explained, “Each show is distinct, but one theme that weaves through all of them is their celebration of individual courage in the face of systems and institutions that would seek to diminish their characters’ humanity.”
The season begins in October with Imagine U's production of "Doctor De Soto," based on William Steig's children's book. November will feature "The Addams Family – A Musical Comedy" as the fall musical.
Flex passes and individual tickets are now available. The $130 Flexpass allows redemption for six tickets to any production during the 2025-26 season. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 847-491-7282, or in person at the Wirtz Center box office.
Other productions include "Among the Dead," directed by Eunbi Lee; "Hand to God," directed by Jamel Booth; Bertolt Brecht's "The Caucasian Chalk Circle," directed by Hamid Dehghani; and Frank Loesser's musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," directed by Christopher Michael Richardson.
Imagine U will also present two shows for young audiences: "Imagine That!" and "Splish, Splash: A Day on the Lake." These performances are designed for children aged two to five and developed with input from preschoolers at Total Child in Evanston.
"Danceworks 2026: Semiquincentennial" will showcase new works by guest choreographers and faculty under Artistic Director Melissa Blanco Borelli. Other plays include Caryl Churchill's "Love and Information" and Sherry Kramer's "David’s Redhaired Death."
Closing out the season is Caridad Svich's play based on Julia Alvarez’s novel, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” about the Mirabal sisters' fight against dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.
For more information on show dates or to purchase tickets, visit the Wirtz Center website or contact their box office.