Citadel Theatre announces 2025-26 mainstage season
From the suspense of Stephen King’s “Misery,” the heartfelt family holiday drama “Miracle on South Division Street,” Joshua Harmon’s provocative “Admissions,” to the wickedly funny “Ruthless! The Musical,” Citadel Theatre will produce a season as emotionally resonant as it is wildly entertaining.
The season will open with William Goldman’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel “Misery.” The story of a novelist who is rescued from a car crash by an obsessed fan and held captive after she discovers he killed off her favorite character, will be performed by Scott and Ellen Phelps, co-founders of the theater. Though they have acted in several productions for the company separately, this will be the first time this married couple has performed together on the Citadel stage since 2023, when they played Pastor Paul and his wife in “The Christians.” Ellen Phelps performed in last spring’s “A Jukebox for the Algonquin.” Scott Westerman, who directed the latter show, will direct “Misery,” which will open on at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, following previews on Sept. 10 and 11, and play through Oct. 12.
Citadel’s holiday show will be the heartfelt comedy-drama “Miracle on South Division Street” by Tom Dudzick, author of the popular “Over the Tavern Trilogy” that follows the Pazinski family in 1950s Buffalo, New York. “Miracle on South Division Street” concerns another Buffalo family: the Nowaks, an eccentric family who for decades have believed they were chosen for a miracle: an apparition of the Virgin Mary in Grandpa's barbershop in 1942. But when daughter Ruth decides to write a one-woman show about the event, a shocking family secret surfaces, unraveling their cherished legend and shaking their faith to the core. The play blends humor and emotion as the family grapples with identity, belief, and the meaning of truth. Scott Shallenbarger, who directed Citadel’s hits “I and You” and “Baby,” is directing. “Miracle on South Division Street” will open on Friday, Nov. 14, after previews on Nov. 12 and 13, and play through Dec. 14.
In February, Citadel will mount the sharp and provocative satire “Admissions,” by playwright Joshua Harmon, author of the recent critical and popular hit “Prayers for the French Republic.” “Admissions” centers on Sherri Rosen-Mason, the head of admissions at a prestigious New England prep school, who is passionately committed to increasing diversity in the student body. But when her own son is deferred from Yale while his Black best friend is accepted, Sherri and her husband — also the school’s headmaster — are forced to confront the uncomfortable gap between their ideals and their personal ambitions. This bold play, which won the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, is designed to spark conversation about this timely topic long after the curtain falls. It will be directed by Beth Wolf, the director who led Citadel’s “Silent Sky” and “Outside Mullingar” to Jeff Award nominations for Best Production of a Play — Midsize and Best Direction of a Play — Midsize. “Admissions” will open on Feb. 13 following previews on Feb. 11 and 12 and play through March 15.
Closing Citadel’s 2025-26 season will be “Ruthless! The Musical.” It’s a gleefully twisted satire that skewers Broadway classics like “Gypsy” and “Mame,” as well as cult films such as “The Bad Seed” and “All About Eve.” The show follows Tina Denmark, an 8-year-old who will stop at nothing — including murder — to land the lead role in her school play. Premiering off-Broadway in 1992, “Ruthless!” has become a cult favorite thanks to its outrageous humor, campy style, and razor-sharp wit. Christina Ramirez, managing director of the award-winning Actors Training Center in Wilmette and director of the musical “First Date” and the upcoming revue “Side by Side by Sondheim,” both for Oil Lamp Theatre, will direct. “Ruthless! The Musical” will open on Friday, April 17, following previews on April 15 and 16, and play through May 17.
Season subscriptions are available for the full four-show season at $120, or as flex passes that can be used for the patron’s choice of either three shows for $100 or two shows for $70. Preview flex passes are also available for $40 for two shows, $50 for three shows, or $60 for four shows. Subscriptions and single tickets priced at $45 are now on sale at citadeltheatre.org.
Citadel Theatre is in residence in the West Campus of the Lake Forest School District at 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. Further information and ticketing is available on the company’s website at citadeltheatre.org.