Juneteenth 2023

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Date: Thursday, June 29 at 7pm 

Chicago drag artist Bambi Banks-Couleé hosts a theatre based drag show! Get ready to goop, gag, wig and be shook as hilarity ensues and legs are split. https://www.steppenwolf.org/tickets–events/lookout/summer-22/jush-hour/

Court Theatre

Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event breathes new life into the Oedipus myth with a score of powerful gospel music. A bold collaboration from an extraordinary team led by Mark J.P. Hood and Charles Newell, The Gospel at Colonus builds upon the strengths and experiences of its artists to bring this redemptive musical celebration to life on Chicago’s South Side. https://chicagoplays.com/event/the-gospel-at-colonus/

MCA Chicago

Juneteenth Freedom Market

Date: June 16, 2023

Time:5-9 PM

Location: The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago 220 E. Chicago Ave Chicago IL 60611

Celebrate Juneteenth by joining Refine Collective and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for the Third Annual Juneteenth Freedom Market, a bold and joyous celebration of Black creativity & entrepreneurship in Chicago. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/refine-collective-3rd-annual-juneteenth-freedom-market-at-mca-chicago-tickets-623430656877?aff=erelexpmlt

Congo Square Theatre

Congo Square Theatre is hosting its annual Juneteenth Homecoming gala on June 15th at LM Studios on S Michigan Ave. The theme is Blackity, Black, Black and the evening includes food/drinks, live entertainment, an auction, and an award ceremony honoring three Black Chicago theater makers. In line with their efforts to promote radical generosity and to foster community among Black theater artists, Congo Square is offering industry tickets at $50.

Congo Square Theatre is also hosting a Festival on the Square which- while not specifically related to Juneteenth, does center Black playwrights and Black performers primarily during the month of June. 2023 Festival on the Square — Congo Square Theatre

Lifeline Theatre

Based on her memoir of the same title, Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland recounts her 20 year journey from humble beginnings in Greenwood, Mississippi to achieving her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. Directed by Lifeline Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan (Neverwhere [2018], Middle Passage), experience a story of triumph in the face of extreme adversity that expertly weaves through the trials and tribulations of Dr. Holland’s life relayed through the bodies and voices of only 3 actors, all in tribute to one of America’s unsung “sheroes”. https://chicagoplays.com/event/from-the-mississippi-delta/

Theo

From singer-songwriter and performance artist Stew comes Passing Strange, a daring musical that takes you on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew brings us the story of a young bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Loaded with soulful lyrics and overflowing with passion, the show takes us from Black middle-class America to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond on a journey towards personal and artistic authenticity. https://chicagoplays.com/event/passing-strange/

Black Ensemble Theater

We’ve seen how life was for the musical superstars of the Motown era but it’s time the wives be given a voice. Join us for this exciting musical journey as we discover what life was like for the women married to the stars! https://chicagoplays.com/event/the-real-housewives-of-motown/

Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre

When African-American college graduate Warren takes a job with the 2008 Obama campaign, he’s fired up and ready to go – until he lands in the troubled streets of East Cleveland. But somewhere between knocking on doors, fending off cops, and questioning his own racial and sexual identity, he learns that changing society isn’t as easy as he imagined. All that, and it’s a comedy too! https://chicagoplays.com/event/obama-ology/

The Den Theatre 

The Den Theatre and comedy club is pleased to host Bawdy Suit as they present Juneteenth Jump Off!. They will present a live show June 19, 2023 at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. Tickets are currently available at thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830. https://thedentheatre.com/performances/2023/6/19/juneteenth-jump-off-the-den-theatrer-comedy-club