Open Space Arts

Home
United States
Chicago, IL
Open Space Arts

Directions Website Contact the organization

Buy tickets or make a donation at www.openspacearts.org

OPEN SPACE ARTS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to combating homophobia and transphobia through the transformative power of creativity and cultural expression.

10/13/2026

🎭 **FINAL THREE PERFORMANCES! DON'T MISS THE SWALLOW!**

⭐ **“I highly recommend seeing The Swallow.”**
— Kathy D. Hey, *Third Coast Review*

Our critically acclaimed production of **THE SWALLOW** closes this Sunday at Open Space Arts!

A moving, intimate story of grief, love, forgiveness, and the courage to move forward.

As Kathy D. Hey writes in her glowing review:
*“By the end, I wished there were tissues on the seats with the programs.”*

**ONLY THREE CHANCES LEFT!**

📅 Friday, October 16 – 7:30 PM
📅 Saturday, October 17 – 7:30 PM
📅 Sunday, October 18 – 3:00 PM

📍 Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago

🎟️ Tickets: $30 general admission | $25 seniors/students

**Don't miss one of the most moving productions of our season. Help us fill the house for our final weekend!**

10/09/2026

🚨 FLASH SALE — THE SWALLOW! 🚨

$10 TICKETS — THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

🎭 Friday, October 9 — 7:30 PM
🎭 Saturday, October 10 — 7:30 PM
🎭 Sunday, October 11 — 3:00 PM

CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR!

Open Space Arts | 1411 W. Wilson, Chicago

10/06/2026

🎭 **FINAL SIX PERFORMANCES OF THE SWALLOW!**

Chicago audiences have had a rare opportunity to experience two remarkable plays by acclaimed Spanish playwright **Guillem Clua** back-to-back: **SMILEY** and **THE SWALLOW**. Now, just six performances of **THE SWALLOW** remain at Open Space Arts!

Night after night, audiences have been moved by the play's extraordinary writing, emotional depth, and unforgettable performances by **Michelle McKenzie-Voigt and Jim Nally**.

Love, loss, grief, forgiveness, and the surprising ways we connect — this is intimate theater at its most powerful.

**Don't miss your chance to see THE SWALLOW before it closes October 18!**

🎭 **REMAINING PERFORMANCES:**

- Friday, October 9 – 7:30 PM
- Saturday, October 10 – 7:30 PM
- Sunday, October 11 – 3:00 PM
- Friday, October 16 – 7:30 PM
- Saturday, October 17 – 7:30 PM
- Sunday, October 18 – 3:00 PM **(Closing Performance!)**

🎟️ **Tickets are available for all six performances!**

**GET YOUR TICKETS NOW:**
https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/THESWALLOW

📍 **Open Space Arts**
1411 W. Wilson, Chicago

***rTheater

10/02/2026

THE SWALLOW IS EXTENDED — AND THERE ARE STILL SEATS AVAILABLE.

If you missed it during the original run, you now have another chance to experience Guillem Clua’s extraordinary two-character play in one of Chicago’s most intimate theaters.

From Josh Flanders in the Chicago Reader:

“Clua sheds light on the silent agreements we make to live with family we may not agree with or understand, and the regret many of us live with due to inaction.”

That tension — between what we say, what we hide, and what we wish we had done differently — is at the center of THE SWALLOW.

Extended through October 18
Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago

Only about 25 seats per performance. Get yours while they’re available.

09/30/2026

🎭 **SUNDAY NIGHT AT OPEN SPACE ARTS!**

Join us for a special staged reading of **SIGNS OF LIFE**, the Q***r Expression contest-winning screenplay by **Nancy Beverly**, directed by **Greta Marie Zandstra**.

Hailey Carmel is ready to start dating again after the loss of her longtime partner — so she asks the universe to send her signs to help her find a girlfriend. The only problem? She may not be very good at reading them. **SIGNS OF LIFE** is a warm, funny and romantic story about grief, connection, coincidence, and finding the courage to begin again.

✍️ **Nancy Beverly** is a Los Angeles-based playwright and screenwriter whose television credits include *Roseanne*, *Blossom*, *Desperate Housewives* and *Ghost Whisperer*. Her work often explores relationships, unexpected turns, and the moments that reshape our lives.

🎬 **Greta Marie Zandstra** is a Chicago director, actor, writer and intimacy professional. Open Space Arts audiences may remember her as the director of **MERCY KILLING**, and she has also worked with OSA as an intimacy professional on **SMILEY** and **MR. PARKER**.

📅 **Sunday, October 4**
⏰ **6:00 PM**
📍 **Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave.**
🎟️ **Pay What You Can** https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/SIGNSOFLIFE

Come spend Sunday evening with us and hear this new q***r story come to life for the first time at Open Space Arts. ❤️

09/28/2026

Hopefully we’ll see you tonight for a funny, warm and moving evening at the movies — and stay afterward for our talkback!

Starring F. Murray Abraham, Caroline Aaron, Noam Ash and Charlie Barnett.
Written by Noam Ash and directed by Mike Doyle.

⭐ “The end result exceeded all our expectations.” — Q***rguru

BOOKENDS
📅 Tonight — Monday, September 28
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 FACETS Film Forum, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Bookends

Come join Open Space Arts / Q***R EXPRESSION for a wonderful night of q***r film, family, romance and second chances. 🌈🎥

***rExpression

09/24/2026

We’ve got a good crowd coming out for **BOOKENDS** on Monday night — and we hope that includes you!

This warm, funny q***r Jewish story follows Nate, an aspiring writer who, after a breakup, moves in with his grandparents. What starts as a temporary escape turns into something much richer: family responsibilities, an unexpected romance, and a reminder that love and connection can show up at any stage of life.

And what a cast: **F. Murray Abraham, Caroline Aaron, Noam Ash and Charlie Barnett.**

Instinct Magazine called it **“the type of movie you watch after a bad day, when you need to smile from beginning to end.”**

🎬 **BOOKENDS**
**Monday, September 28 at 7:00 PM**
**FACETS Film Forum, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago**

Tickets: **$15 General Admission • $12 Seniors & Students**

🎟️ **Tickets & more info:**
https://openspacearts.org/films

Come join us for a really lovely night at the movies — and stick around afterward for conversation in the FACETS lounge.

Presented by **Q***R EXPRESSION / Open Space Arts**.

09/21/2026

🎭 **THE SWALLOW — THIS WEEKEND!**

“**A truly fun, incredibly poignant ride.**” — *Windy City Times*

Tickets are getting tight:
🎟️ Friday — **16 available**
🎟️ Saturday — **10 available**
🎟️ Sunday — **3 available**

Michelle McKenzie-Voigt and Jim Nally star in Guillem Clua’s moving two-character drama, directed by Laine Rogers.

📅 Fri & Sat 7:30 PM | Sun 3 PM
📍 Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/THESWALLOW

***rTheatre

Address

1411 W. Wilson
Chicago, IL
60640

Website

http://www.openspacearts.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Open Space Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Open Space Arts:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Chicago?