The Short Window When Both Writers Theatre Stages Are Lit
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
Two seasons ago, a typical Writers Theatre performance sold about two-thirds of its seats. In 2025/26 the average paid capacity was 86%, up from 68% the season before, according to the theatre's season report as covered by BuzzNews. This fall the two Pay What You Can nights for Sisters, on Oct. 31 and Nov. 5, are already listed as sold out.
Tudor Court now fills up more easily than it used to. That matters most in the next few weeks, because this is the only stretch of the 2026/27 season when both of the theatre's stages run at once. It is also the last stretch before a long quiet winter.
The numbers in the season report show a theatre that grew past its usual audience in one year. Between 2024/25 and 2025/26, single-ticket revenue rose from $1.5 million to $2.45 million. Subscribers went from 3,180 to 3,688, and total attendance climbed from 46,600 to 55,917. JOB got an extension and became the highest-grossing show in the history of the Gillian Theatre. Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt was the largest and highest-revenue production the company has ever staged. In September, WBEZ reported that Leopoldstadt won five 2026 Equity Jeff Awards, among them best production and best director.
Executive Director Kate Lipuma said the season showed "what is possible when community responds with extraordinary confidence, enthusiasm and generosity," BuzzNews reported. The 2026 WordPlay Gala raised more than $1 million.
The 2026/27 season is the theatre's 35th, and it began with that demand already in place. In practice, the walk-up evening at the Studio Gang building on Tudor Court is harder to count on than it was a couple of years ago.
From Oct. 22 through Nov. 8, the theatre is running two very different plays at the same time.
In the smaller Gillian Theatre, Matthew Libby's Sisters is in its final weeks. Jessica Thebus directs, and Brenda Barrie and Chloe Johnston star as Matilda and Greta. The theatre bills it as a play about artificial intelligence and the future of family. The last performance is the Sunday matinee on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.
In the larger Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, Marco Ramirez's The Royale runs Oct. 22 through Nov. 29 under director Tyrone Phillips. It follows Jay, a Black boxer nicknamed "The Sport," who has won 76 straight fights in 1905. In the Jim Crow era, he isn't allowed to fight the reigning white champion. La'Tevin Alexander plays Jay, with James Vincent Meredith, Scott Aiello, Ajax Dontavius and AnJi White in the cast.
Each play runs 90 minutes with no intermission. A 7:30 p.m. curtain lets out around 9, which leaves time for dinner after the show instead of a rushed one before it.
After The Royale closes, the season page lists no production until Noël Coward's Brief Encounter opens Feb. 11, 2027. That leaves December and January without a show on either stage.
| Dates | Gillian Theatre | Nichols Theatre |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 22 to Nov. 8 | Sisters | The Royale |
| Nov. 9 to Nov. 29 | No production listed | The Royale |
| Dec. 2026 to Feb. 10, 2027 | No production listed | No production listed |
| From Feb. 11, 2027 | Brief Encounter |
With paid capacity in the mid-80s, the special performances are the ones to book early. Both of the Sisters Pay What You Can nights have already sold out. The Royale has two Pay What You Can performances: opening night on Oct. 22, which the theatre marks as limited seating, and Sunday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m.
The rest of the fall calendar around The Royale:
The theatre also keeps something going in the months without a show. Wake Up Words, its free family playtime for ages 3 to 6, meets at 11 a.m. on Nov. 1, Dec. 6 and Jan. 10, 2027, and registration is required. In December and January, these sessions and the Dec. 5 discussion are about the only reasons to visit Tudor Court.
If you haven't paired dinner with a show since 2024, the blocks around the theatre look different now. The Record North Shore reported in July 2025 that Meg's Cafe left 317 Park Ave. on May 31 of that year and that Merlo's at 667 Vernon Ave. closed that April. Both spaces have new restaurants in them.
RDK Sushi, 317 Park Ave. The Record announced the restaurant in September 2025 as a Japanese sit-down spot in the old Meg's space. A September 2026 paid press release from its builder, Moller Builders, describes 64 seats, a sushi bar and a street-side patio, open daily for lunch and dinner. It is the first restaurant from chef-owner Daniel Rakestraw, a Glencoe native who previously supervised the rooftop sushi bar at Nobu.
Elyon, 667 Vernon Ave. This Mediterranean restaurant took over the former Merlo's address. The Record's October 2025 report described plans for a tasting menu, mezze and fire-grilled dishes. Elyon's site currently takes reservations and offers catering.
Guildhall, 694 Vernon Ave. Writers Theatre lists Guildhall as its preferred restaurant partner on its dining page. Its bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., so you can still get a seat after a 9 p.m. curtain.
Matinee options on the 600 and 700 blocks of Vernon. Hometown Coffee & Juice at 700 Vernon is also a theatre restaurant partner and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. At 668 Vernon, Picnic serves salads daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mensch's Deli opened at the same address in late June 2025. It posts its current hours on its ordering page. Check them before a weekday matinee, because they are shorter than the hours reported when it opened.
As the theatre fills up, parking and arrival matter more. In its posted parking guidance, Writers Theatre points patrons to the Metra commuter lots across Green Bay Road. Parking there is free for theatre patrons after 10 a.m., and a pedestrian crosswalk runs from the northwest lot to the theatre. Nearby street spaces have a two-hour limit before 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, so a matinee with lunch beforehand can run past the limit. There is also a drop-off lane on Tudor Court.
Guests coming up from the city can take the Union Pacific North line to the Glencoe station. The theatre's directions page gives the walking route via Old Green Bay Road, Park Avenue, Vernon Avenue and Tudor Court. That route passes RDK Sushi and the Vernon Avenue restaurants on the way. For The Royale, the box office gives back $10 in cash per rider to anyone who shows a Metra ticket.
If you have guests visiting this November, a Royale evening with dinner on Vernon is one of the easiest ways to show them Glencoe, and you can book the date before Sisters closes on Nov. 8. At Mary Grant, we keep track of what happens on Tudor Court and along Vernon because it shapes daily life in Glencoe. If you'd like to talk about the village, please schedule a private consultation.
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