FIRST FLOOR THEATER 2015/16 SEASON

The World Premiere of
ANIMALS COMMIT SUICIDE

By J. Julian Christopher
Directed by Artistic Director Hutch Pimentel
November 15 - December 12, 2015

Chance Stevens is a young gay man who has almost everything...but he wants something more. He dives deep into the city’s seedy sexual underbelly and picks up a drug habit, while also beginning a relationship with a handsome, HIV-positive baker, claiming falsely to be positive as well. But as those close to him begin to call his motives into question, Chance is forced to decide what he values in a dangerous world. New York playwright J. Julian Christopher, winner of the 2009 Public Theater Emerging Playwright award, explores bug-chasing - a complicated and little-discussed subculture within the contemporary queer community - through the lens of desire, guilt, and redemption. Artistic Director Hutch Pimentel, who directed last year’s hit production Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them, will helm this sharp, challenging, and haunting new play.

The Chicago Premiere of
THE AWAKE

By Ken Urban
Directed by Josh Altman
February 14 - March 12, 2016

Malcolm, a devoted son, floats on a bed with his mother on an endless sea, as Gabrielle, an Eastern European actress, awakes to a new life in America. Meanwhile, Nate, an Arab-Canadian, is on the run from a faceless interrogator. These three strangers discover that a mysterious corporation bonds them together. Moving between dreams and reality, Ken Urban’s award-winning play explores the unspoken culture of fear that is the new normal of American life. Josh Altman, the dramaturg for Ike Holter’s nationally acclaimed Exit Strategy, joins FFT to direct this surreal and moving Chicago Premiere.

The Chicago Premiere of
WORLD BUILDERS

By Johnna Adams
Directed by Company Member Jesse Roth
June 5 - July 2, 2016

A new drug has been developed that suppresses the complex internal worlds of those with schizoid personality disorder, allowing them to focus instead on the challenges of reality. Max and Whitney are two participants in its first clinical trial, and as the drug begins to work, they must choose which dream to pursue: their disparate fantasies or a future together. This Chicago premiere by Johnna Adams, writer of Gideon’s Knot, which ran to critical acclaim at Profiles Theatre, asks probing questions about fantasy, reality, and intimacy. Her generous and loving style compliments the play’s narrative of the frightening choice between pursuing our own dreams and investing our energy in the dreams of others. Company Member Jesse Roth, collaborator with New Colony, A Red Orchid Theatre, and The House Theater, helms this intimate Chicago premiere, her first mainstage production with FFT.

A brand new way to enjoy First Floor shows...and save money! The one-time $50 purchase of the pass guarantees you admission to all three of the shows above, which purchased individually throughout the season would total $60. Simply click above, purchase the pass, and bookmark the confirmation link. Later, when it's closer to show-time and you know which performance you'd like to attend, just revisit the link and reserve your prepaid spot.
We'll even sweeten the deal: any Season Pass Holder who does indeed attend all three main stage productions will receive free tickets to the Fourth Annual Lit Fest.*
*free tickets can only be guaranteed on Thursday nights and all matinees, other nights are subject to availability. 

First Floor Theater Adds Two New Company Members

First Floor Theater is pleased to announce the addition of two new company members, Amanda Cantlin and Helen Behnke-Hanson.
Cantlin recently lighting designed The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Tollbooth: A Clown Show, and assistant lighting designed Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them.
Benke-Hanson, who recently stage managed Matt & Ben and The Paranoid Style in American Politics, joins FFT as the company Production Manager.