As World War II comes to a close, a small town in Illinois desperately waits for news from a young soldier. Buddy, the younger brother, glamorizes the battlefield and refuses to believe his brother lost when all signs point that way. A town at a standstill, the characters of Ware are forced to reckon with a troubling past and an unsettled future.

Over thirty years in the making – Suzan Zeder’s richly lyrical Ware Trilogy is inspired by the oral traditions gathered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Set against the stark mid-west backdrop of Ware, Illinois, we are introduced to complicated themes of loss, identity, and family through the lives of three outsiders: Tuc, a young Deaf man; Girl, a foundling child; and Mother Hicks, a mysterious recluse, who is often suspected of being a witch. An ensemble of Deaf and hearing actors explore the cultural complexities of Deafness with humor and compassion.

The Edge of Peace is the final play in the Trilogy; the first two plays are being produced in collaboration with Wheelock Family Theatre and Emerson Stage. This play is in both spoken English and American Sign Language.

Visit The Ware Trilogy site for more information on the collaboration!

The Edge of Peace is not part of any subscription package.

“As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe.”

Mr g creates time, space, matter, a few basic laws of physics. These give birth to stars, planets… but intelligent life? The Creator’s plans go awry when a mysterious rival questions the nature of free will. Together, we experience the birth and fate of Mr g’s favorite universe: ours. Adapted by Wesley Savick (who staged Lightman’s Einstein’s Dreams and Car Talk: The Musical!!!), Mr g is “…witty, erudite, alive with Lightman’s playful genius.”-Junot Díaz (author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao)

A Catalyst Collaborative@MIT 10th Anniversary Production

It’s 1953. An actress who might be Marilyn Monroe knocks on the door of a dingy hotel room where a Professor – Albert Einstein? – is calculating the shape of the universe. Her husband, a baseball player, is jealous. And a zealous, sweaty Senator is looking for “Reds.” Terry Johnson (of The Nora’s Hysteria) conjures up a comedic fantasy questioning the moral and political dangers of fame and celebrity worship.

Enter ancient Persia, and be transformed by the power of storytelling. The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater revive their award-winning production (2012 Independent Reviewers of New England Awards for Best Ensemble, Best Puppetry, Best Costumes, and Best Director) of Dominic Cooke’s Arabian Nights. Based on One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folk tales from the Middle East and Asia, Arabian Nights is rich with suspense, romance and hilarity – stories irresistible for all ages, At its heart is the power of the imagination to heal, inspire, and transform.

Arabian Nights is not part of any subscription package.

Renowned neurologist Juliana Smithton’s life is unraveling: her husband is leaving her and a betrayal has led to an estrangement from her daughter – all while Juliana is in the midst of a medical crisis. Memories splinter, blurring the past with the present. A riveting mystery unwinds, starting with a professional conference and culminating at a cottage on Cape Cod. The Other Place features Underground Railway Theater Artistic Director Debra Wise as Juliana.