Northwestern University’s Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts in Chicago has announced its fall 2025 season, featuring three productions that explore technology, identity, and cultural memory. The season will begin with a symposium focused on the intersection of technology and live performance, followed by a play examining Black masculinity, and conclude with a production that highlights Ukrainian heritage through puppetry and music.
Tanya Palmer, assistant dean and executive artistic director for Northwestern’s School of Communication, said, “While these three works differ in form and subject matter — from a forward-looking exploration of technology and performance to a poetic meditation on Black masculinity, to a visually rich journey through Ukrainian cultural memory — they are united by a deep commitment to storytelling as a means of transformation. Each artist uses their medium to confront loss, reclaim identity and imagine new futures, reminding us of the power of performance to connect across time, culture and experience.”
The Wirtz Center Chicago is situated at Abbott Hall on Northwestern’s Chicago campus. Ticket options include six-admission Flexpasses or individual tickets available via the Wirtz Center website or at the box office located in Evanston.
The season opens October 3-5 with “Finding New Forms: Technology and Live Performance,” co-curated by Tanya Palmer and Seth Bockley. The program brings together professionals from live theater and digital arts to discuss how new technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), extended reality (XR), installation art, and immersive experiences are influencing contemporary performance practices. Panel discussions will cover topics like “Digital Worlds: Virtual Reality and Live Performance” on October 3 and “Storytelling Frontiers: AI and Beyond” on October 4. Robin McNicholas from Marshmallow Laser Feast in London and Annie Dorsen—who works at the intersection of algorithmic art and live performance—are among the featured guests. Additional gallery work will be displayed by artists including Ian Garrett from Toronto’s Toaster Lab/York University as well as local artists Ozge Samanci, Stephan Moore, Jo Cattel, among others.
On October 17-18, the center presents “Hang Time,” written and directed by Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard in her directorial debut. Produced by New York’s Flea Theater, this play offers insight into the emotional lives of Black men in America. According to event materials: “Three men chew the fat under an old wide tree. In ‘Hang Time,’ we peek into the interiority — the great loves and bitter blues — of Black men in America. Setting the romantic and the macabre in sharp relief, the work invites the viewer to envisage the living Black body triumphant over the legacy of violence that it holds.”
The final production is Yara Arts Group’s “The Magic of Light,” running November 13-16. Created by Virlana Tkacz, Julian Kytasty, and Tom Lee, this theatrical work combines puppetry with music drawn from Ukrainian traditions to portray an artist's spiritual awakening in 19th-century Ukraine. A quote from “The Magic of Light” states: “There are those who cannot see and who are not seen. But their music can open our eyes. Light pours in, like magic, and we are brought home…” Puppeteer Tom Lee performs alongside musician Julian Kytasty—a third-generation master bandura player—to evoke themes rooted in Ukrainian history.
Wirtz Center Chicago is housed inside Abbott Hall on Northwestern’s downtown campus near other major arts venues. The facility includes two black box theaters along with rehearsal spaces designed for both established companies and emerging artists seeking venues for new work.
Media interested in reviewing any fall productions can contact Stephen Lewis at stephen.j.lewis@northwestern.edu.