ABOUT THIS SHOW
Bechdel Fest is an evening of new short plays featuring female-identifying and nonbinary characters talking about things other than men.
Created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel, the now-famous Bechdel-Wallace Test asks three questions about works of narrative entertainment:
1) Does it feature at least two women?
2) Do they talk to each other?
3) Do they talk about anything other than a man?
Since it's first iteration in 2013, Bechdel Fest has allowed Broken Nose Theatre to partner with some of the city's most outstanding artists to tell new and relevant nonbinary and women-centric stories that pass the Test with flying colors.
All performances of Bechdel Fest are Pay-What-You-Can, with a minimum price of $5. Online tickets are available at $5 increments from $10 to $40, but if you have another amount in mind, call Steppenwolf’s Box Office at (312) 335-1650.
Broken Nose Theatre is one of Chicago's prominent Pay-What-You-Can theatre companies. They develop and produce new work that seeks to cultivate empathy, spark conversation, and amplify underrepresented voices, all while allowing audiences to set their own ticket price and removing the financial barrier that an admission fee can be for some who wish to experience live theater.
"Broken Nose really is redefining the storefront aesthetic in this city..." - Chris Jones
THE SHORT PLAYS
ALL I REALLY WANT
By Jillian Leff | Directed by Becca Holloway
Featuring Amy Johnson and Alice Wu
A first-year cadet at West Point decides to share some unexpected news with a military veteran - who also happens to be her mother.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI OF THE STANTON SCHOOL
By Ryan Oliveira | Directed by Alison Dornheggen
Featuring Diana Lee, Vero Maynez and Alison Plott
The annual fundraising dinner for a prestigious all-girls school hits a major speed-bump when one of their "unsuccessful" alumni starts speaking her mind.
harderfasterharderfaster
By Grace McLeod | Directed by Madisen Dempsey
Featuring Rebecca Flores, Sophie Rosado, Shaina Schrooten and Charlotte Thomas
Alone in her bedroom, a horny teenager journeys deep into her own personal dreamscape in search of satisfaction.
REHEARSAL
By Dolores Diaz | Directed by Ben Locke
Featuring Teresa Kuruvilla^, Carmen Liao, Aziza Macklin, Jackie Seijo and Mindy Shore
Five drummers consider the terrifying future that awaits them if the current tempo of the nation keeps accelerating.
LAUGH OUT LOUD
By Michael Turrentine | Directed by Alejandro Tey
Featuring Imani Hayes and Maria Stephens
In the unforgiving world of stand-up comedy, two women look behind the jokes to explore what's really on each other's mind.
THE GREAT WHIRLPOOL OF THE NIAGARA
By Robert Koon^ | Directed by Jen Poulin*
Featuring Jean Marie Koon and Teresa Kuruvilla^
A concerned daughter follows her hydrologist mother north of the border in the wake of a family tragedy.
PLANNED SISTERHOOD
By Michael Allen Harris^ | Directed by Brittney Brown
Featuring RjW Mays^ and Sarah Rachel Schol
In a deep-South state where abortion has just been outlawed, the wife of a prominent politician seeks help from a woman who runs a clandestine health clinic.
OPERATION MARSHMALLOW FLUFF
By Hallie Palladino | Directed by Taylor Raye
Featuring Rainee Denham, Leilanii Mesa Ellis, Kelsey McGrath, Song Marshall, Hallie Palladino and Ann Wiggs
A famed clairvoyant, who claims to speak to the dead, is confronted by a group of outspoken activitsts who are not quite "True Believers."
THROW AWAY
By Jenni Lamb | Directed by Julia Skeggs | Assistant Director JD Caudill^
Featuring Claire Alpern, Deveon Bromby and Aria Szalai-Raymond^
Stationed along the conveyor belt at a recycling sorting center, three employees grapple with questions of idealism, reality, and planning for the future.
^Broken Nose Theatre artistic associate/Resident Playwright
*Broken Nose Theatre company member
Content Advisory
Steppenwolf does not offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content, age-appropriateness or stage effects (such as strobe lights or theatrical fog) that might have a bearing on patron comfort, please contact the box office at 312-335-1650.