YEAR 25

About This Show

2nd Story is real stories by real people for real change. Their deeply held belief is that personal stories can build a bolder and kinder world. This belief is seen in every story they tell, every show they produce, every class they teach and every workshop they facilitate. They are celebrating 25 years of heart-changing stories and invite you to join them for a performance and party to kick off their 25th Anniversary Season.

About 2nd Story

At 2nd Story, one of Chicago’s oldest storytelling organizations, we want to live in a world driven by empathy. We believe that sharing our true stories binds us to one another. Therefore, we create spaces where people can share and deeply listen to one another’s stories. Our work is activated by our Core Values: Craft, Courage and Inclusion. 2nd Story was founded as Serendipity Theatre in 1999, with the goal of “fostering social dialogue” between artist and audience. 25 years later, we continue to craft performances where folks can connect to each other through conversation and storytelling.

Praise for 2nd Story

There is just something so humane about a 2nd Story show. The emotions from story to story run the gamut—fear, joy, grief, celebration, surprise, insight, irony, humor. But running through all of them is this endearing and enduring sense of humanity, unshaded by a commercial angle or necessity, just civil, thoughtful and always memorable.
– Audience Member

Mesmerized by 2nd Story.
– Chicago Tribune

I don’t know the last time I didn’t look at my phone for two hours.
– Audience Member

In what has proven to be a brilliant experiment in developing a literature-theater hybrid, they continue to push the already wide boundaries of creative nonfiction. Once an annual festival, 2nd Story has expanded to performing three to six times a month, and now has a stable of more than a hundred active performers. 
– New City

Artist Links: @2ndstorychicago//www.2ndstory.com