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 CHICAGO, The Play

A fame-obsessed housewife kills her lover in cold blood and, after trying to coerce her husband into taking the blame, is put on trial for murder. The play, while fiction, is a satire based on two unrelated 1924 court cases involving two women, Beulah Annan (the inspiration for Roxie Hart) and Belva Gaertner (the inspiration for Velma) who were both suspected and later acquitted of murder, whom Watkins had covered for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter.

Watkins wrote the script (originally titled Brave Little Woman) as a class assignment while attending Yale Drama School. The play debuted on Broadway at the Sam Harris Theatre in late December 1926, directed by George Abbott, where it ran for 172 performances.

This ETC production is NOT the musical of the same name.

CHICAGO, The Play preview video

Click on the start button on the video image to the right for a preview of CHICAGO, The Play direct from Jail. Click on the last icon in the lower right of the image to enlarge the size of the video image.

 Date, times and location

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21, 2023

Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2:00 PM

Elgin Art Showcase | 164 Division Street – Eighth Floor | Elgin, IL

Sunday performances will be sign acted for the deaf and hard of hearing.

All tickets are general admission (no reserved seats).