Having sold out with every outing at the Playhouse, The Second City is back! Celebrate 65 years of legendary laughs with some all-time favorite songs, sketches and characters written by some of The Second City’s most illustrious alumni, including Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Stephen Colbert, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Eugene Levy and so many more. With material handpicked from their iconic comedy archive and brought to life by the next generation of comedy super stars, see for yourself why The Second City continues to be the world’s most influential name in comedy for 65 years and counting.

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The SEcond City 65th Anniversary

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

You’ll never forget her name. A powerful indie-rock musical makes its world premiere in Cincinnati to launch its path to Broadway. Rutka’s world is consumed by the usual teen concerns, like friendships, gossip, a new haircut and the flickers of first love — all of which she documents in her diary. But the world at large is far from usual. It’s 1943 in war-torn Poland, as Rutka and her friends are trying to live life as normally as possible while confined in the Jewish Ghetto. With their futures and fates uncertain, they reach for hope, resilience and resistance. This all-new musical is a compelling drama based on Rutka’s Notebook — a publication of the real diary left behind by 14-year-old Rutka Laskier, and a shining example of how even one small voice can make a difference in the world. Rutka is brought to life by an extraordinary ensemble of young performers and with a raw and emotional sound, promising an unforgettable musical experience.

RUTKA: A New Musical

You’re never too old to learn a thing or two. A struggling actor turns to teaching for a steady paycheck, thinking "how hard could it be?" But as he careens from an urban public school system by day to serious thespian at night, Mr. Parent starts to wonder where he really belongs. Based on personal stories and his own real-life adventures, writer-performer Maurice Emmanuel Parent takes the stage in a deeply felt and hilarious solo performance about crushingly inequitable systems, the brilliance of every kid and how we might all find the space to be ourselves.

Mr. Parent

Murder and malice take center stage in a fresh adaptation of an iconic thriller! The setting is midcentury London. It’s been a year since Margot ended her affair with her lover, Maxine, and returned to life as usual with her husband, Tony — or so she thinks. Tony, in fact, knows about the affair and spins an intricate web of suspicion and deception. When his plan goes terribly awry, it sets in motion a series of deadly, unexpected twists threatening everyone involved. Best known for the 1954 film by Alfred Hitchcock, this masterful murder mystery receives a clever and fast-paced new treatment for the stage.

Dial M for Murder

An all-American love story about two very new Americans. It’s 1975. Saigon has fallen. He’s lost his wife, she’s lost her fiancé, and home as they’ve known it will never be the same. But this isn’t a story about war: It’s a story about falling in love. Based on playwright Qui Nguyen’s family, Vietgone tells the partially true and endlessly entertaining tale of how his parents, Quang and Tong, met in a refugee relocation camp in Arkansas during the Vietnam War. They navigate their very new lives as very new Americans amidst family pressure, the challenges of migration and a culture full of motorcycles, cowboys, fast food and dreams. With irreverent humor, hip-hop and heightened theatrical storytelling, this original story reinvents the romantic comedy genre and captures your heart.

Vietgone

How can two directly opposing ideas exist together? Chaim Potok’s classic novel intimately explores such complex and thought-provoking questions in a moving adaptation for the stage. It’s 1940s Brooklyn where two Jewish boys, Reuven and Danny, live five blocks and a world apart. One of them is Orthodox, the other is Hasidic, and they’re both immersed in the religious instruction of their fathers and the traditions of their communities. But fate plays its hand, in the strangest of ways, and forges a life-changing friendship as they grow into adulthood. This hugely popular adaptation — often selling out theatres across the U.S. — is a heartfelt exploration of Jewish culture and the human ability to reach out across differences.

The Chosen

Three generations of Black women gather in Mama’s kitchen to cook an important meal — and things are about to boil over. As they take turns preparing a stew, closely held details of their lives rise slowly to the surface. But time is running short to prepare the meal, and the truths they try to keep from one another threaten to reveal themselves. A heady combination of secrets, knowingness and even violence hangs thick in the air before the day reaches an unforgettable climax. A 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Zora Howard’s Stew tells a captivating, funny and intimate story about the relationship between mothers, daughters and the realities that bind them together.

Stew

Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale comes back to life in this evocative world premiere where everyone has a secret…and those secrets are deadly. Lifelong friends Mina and Lucy share intimate details about the men in their lives. Dr Seward works to unlock the mystery of Renfield’s strange affliction with the help of his friend Van Helsing, who carries her own secret. Jonathan Harker returns from Transylvania with a dark disclosure. As tensions rise, temptation lures them into double lives as they unmask one man, Count Dracula. Created by Vanessa Severo (Frida…A Self Portrait) and Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Joanie Schultz, this bold, highly theatrical re-telling breathes new life and new blood into the most famous vampire story of all time and pulses with humor, humanity and blood-curdling thrills.

Dracula

Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama! Written with profound affection for the hero at its center, Primary Trust is an achingly beautiful, modern-day tale that will restore your faith in others. Meet Kenneth, a shy, Black 38-year-old man who sells books by day and drinks mai tais with his best friend Bert by night. When Kenneth is suddenly laid off from his job, the walls of his comfortable, predictable life start to crumble. The transformation gives way to remarkable revelations as Kenneth finds kindness and friendship in unlikely places. Hailed by critics as “utterly absorbing” (The Daily Beast) and “wonderfully vivid” (The New York Times), this recent off-Broadway hit paints a heartening portrait of a life that’s far from simple.

Primary Trust

The holiday story you love unfolds in spectacular fashion with a brand-new production specially designed for Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre! In Charles Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy curmudgeon who finds his heart changing when three spirits and the ghost of a long-lost friend show him the errors of his ways. Across one fateful Christmas Eve night, Scrooge recalls the warmth and generosity of past loved ones, learns the value of kindness through Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family and glimpses a terrifying future should his heart remain the same. Featuring dazzling new set, costume and lighting designs, A Christmas Carol promises a magical holiday experience for your family like never before!

A Christmas Carol

One of the longest running shows in Chicago and U.S. theatre history, this one-nun comedy is part catechism class, part stand-up routine. A playful and compassionate send-up of Catholic culture, the audience becomes Sister’s class in this uproarious piece of interactive theatre. Sister is filling in for Father Murphy, who doesn’t want to miss his poker night, and she’s going to teach the class the way she wants. She goes on to weave stories into a hilarious tapestry that laughs at the quirks of the church while simultaneously embracing them. The Hollywood Reporter said it’s “a laugh-filled evening for all cultures, classes and religions.”

Late Night Catechism

Every sandwich has a story at Clyde’s, a truck-stop operated by a group of people recently released from prison. Under the no-nonsense authority of Clyde — an ex-con herself whose searing remarks can really leave a burn — the small kitchen crew finds redemption and purpose through the art of sandwich-making. These vividly drawn characters share their stories and learn to express themselves creatively as they attempt to reclaim their lives in a world that’s set up for them to fail. Can an artistic twist on a grilled cheese elicit feelings of hope? Can assembling the perfect sandwich awaken a spiritual experience? In this witty and inspiring dramedy from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, they absolutely can.


Clyde’s

How far would you go to help a friend, and what would you be willing to risk? In this strikingly intimate play, two young people become one another’s sanctuaries as the children of U.S. immigrants in the wake of 9/11. Through years of late-night conversations, they see each other through adolescence and fight to find their place in the world. When G becomes a naturalized citizen, she finds a way to help B stay in the country legally. But what begins as a simple choice becomes far more complicated, and G and B’s relationship teeters on the brink of falling apart. This searing new play from Pulitzer Prize-winner Martyna Majok is an unconventional love story that’s as timely as it is unforgettable.

Sanctuary City

The hit musical returns! Ring of Fire celebrates the iconic Johnny Cash — the Man in Black whose razor-sharp vocals and stripped-down country sound helped shape the American rock ‘n’ roll landscape in the 20th century. The musical follows Cash’s early life in the cotton fields of Arkansas and moves to Memphis as he launches his music career, hits it big and marries the love of his life, June Carter. Five actor-musicians deliver crowd-pleasing renditions of Cash’s musical catalog, including “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I’ve Been Everywhere” and, of course, “Ring of Fire.” Revisit this toe-tapping, soul-stirring musical biography like never before in The Rouse Theatre!

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash

The 2023 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama takes the Playhouse stage! Four Iranian adults gather in a classroom to learn English with the hopes of passing the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Humor, word games and vulnerability abound as they navigate the mechanics of language and use rom-coms, Shakira and Coca-Cola as cultural touchstones. But as Marjan, their Iranian-born English teacher, abolishes their native tongue from the classroom, questions and conflicts about identity seep slowly into their minds and hearts. Equal parts touching and funny, this new play from Sanaz Toossi offers a revelatory glimpse into the human desire to belong.

English

A comedy about books and the people who love them. When the members of a devoted book club become the subjects of a documentary filmmaker, their intimate discussions of life and literature take on new meaning with the camera rolling. Add in the unexpected arrival of a provocative new member and the sudden inclusion of some questionable titles, and long-standing group dynamics take a hilarious turn. A sold-out hit at theatres across the country, The Book Club Play by Playhouse favorite Karen Zacarías returns! This delightful and engaging play is sprinkled with wit, joy and novels galore.

The Book Club Play

The ingredients for the cake are simple: eggs, butter, sugar, salt. Look closer, though, and you’ll see the essence of life itself. Every year, Ernestine bakes a cake and celebrates with her family on her birthday — a delicious ritual that unfolds onstage across 90 years of birthdays. We meet Ernestine and the people who sweeten her life every year on this day as she grows from 17 to 107 years old. Through glimpses of Ernestine’s life as the years go by, Birthday Candles tenderly explores motherhood, family, love, loss and finding your place in the universe. This charming new play, recently performed on Broadway, will warm the soul.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Oct 25 - Dec 23, 2024

The SEcond City 65th Anniversary

Nov 23 - Dec 30, 2024

A Christmas Carol

2 - 30 Mar, 2025

English

Mar 23 - Apr 20, 2025

The Book Club Play

Apr 20 - May 18, 2025

Birthday Candles

Oct 25 - Dec 23, 2024

The SEcond City 65th Anniversary

Oct 13 - Nov 11, 2024

RUTKA: A New Musical

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park