Southern Rapture
By Eric Coble
Directed by Jason Palmer
June 11 – 28, 2026
In the heart of the Bible Belt, a local theatre announces it will stage a play—complete with seven seconds of male nudity—and the city erupts.
Based on real events, this wickedly funny satire explores artistic freedom, arts funding, the weaponization of civic institutions, and what happens when conviction outruns common sense.
The Chicago and Regional Premiere of
Southern Rapture
by Eric Coble
Directed by Jason Palmer
June 11 – 28
Thursdays – Sundays
| Preview Performance | Thursday, June 11 |
| Opening Night | Friday, June 12 |
| Special Industry Night Performance | Wednesday, June 17 |
| Post-show talk-back with playwright Eric Coble | Saturday, June 20 |
| Closing Performance | Sunday, June 28 |
Reviews
Synopsis
It’s 1996 and Marjorie Winthrop’s theatre is presenting Rapture In America on Friday. The only problem is that her theatre is in a major Southern city and the play features (bad) homosexuality and (worse) full frontal male nudity — a full frontal 7 seconds of it. And now the Mayor (who just wants to lure the Olympics to his city) is trying to close the theatre. And now a brimstone-breathing pastor and a woman who counts the number of “f*cks” in all her library books are breaking out the torches and pitchforks to burn the theatre down. And now the actors are terrified and giving out cans of pepper spray as opening night gifts. If they live that long. And now the playwright is threatening to sue and the national media is descending and…
Southern Rapture (based on the true story of Charlotte Repertory’s production of Angels in America) hilariously dives into the true meaning of art, commerce, censorship, and why it may matter that your costumer is a member of the He Is Risen Apostolic Tabernacle.
The show runs approximately 120 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
Cast
Teddy Boone
Mayor Winston Paxton
Shannon Leigh Webber
Marjorie Winthrop
Michael Stejskal
Donald Sherman
Mary Anne Bowman
Allissa Marquand, Nyla-Jean Geisy, Julia Overmyer
Jenny Hoppes
Laverne Jackson, Pam,
Clarice Paxton, Tina
Jordan Gleaves
Simon Larisher, Emmett Whipple, Nightline Host, Franklin Mcmanus
Andrew Bosworth
Mickey Stedman, Reverend Dupree, Anton Finewitz
Production Team:
| Director | Jason Palmer |
| Producer | Steve Needham |
| Casting Director | Teddy Boone |
| Stage Manager | Emily Nicholas |
| Technical Director & Scenic Designer | Kaitlyn Hettinger |
| Costume Designer | Kasey Wolfgang |
| Lighting Designer & Master Electrician | Ellie Fey |
| Sound Designer | Zach Stinnett |
| Director of Intimacy & Movement | Erin Alys |
| Assistant Stage Manager / Scenic Assistant | Sil Rivera |
| Scenic Assistant | Jason Nykiel |
| Lighting Assistant | Leah Donovan |
| Marketing & Promotions | Josh Garcia Design |
| Press Relations | SHOUT Chicago |
About Eric Coble
Eric Coble is an award-winning American playwright whose work spans sharply drawn dramas, audacious comedies, and incisive social satire. Born in Edinburgh and raised on the Navajo and Ute reservations of the American Southwest, Coble brings a distinctive blend of wit, empathy, and theatrical boldness to the stage.
His plays have been produced across the United States and internationally, including on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at major regional theatres. His Broadway debut, The Velocity of Autumn, starring Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella, earned Parsons a Tony Award nomination. Other widely produced works include The Giver (stage adaptation), Bright Ideas, My Barking Dog, Fairfield, The Dead Guy, Natural Selection, and Southern Rapture, among many others.
Coble’s scripts have received an ATCA Steinberg New Play Award citation, the Governor’s Award for the Arts (Ohio), and multiple Edgerton New Play Awards. His work has been developed or produced by The Kennedy Center, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, Denver Center Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Alliance Theatre, Arena Stage, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Known for his sharp comic voice and ability to illuminate the tensions and absurdities of contemporary American life, Coble remains a vital presence in the new-play landscape. He is a member of the Playwrights’ Center and a graduate of Ohio University’s MFA program.
Southern Rapture Show Gallery
Southern Rapture is produced by special arrangement with:
THE GERSH AGENCY, 9465 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 600,
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212.
Theater Wit is the premier smart art theater in Chicago and the hub of the Lakeview neighborhood theater scene.
1229 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL, 60657 US
Car: $10 parking across the street
L Train: Belmont Stop, Red, Purple or Brown
Bus: CTA Belmont #77 Bike: Racks & Divvy bike stands nearby
Directions: Google Maps
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