Church Hurt runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Seating is general admission. If you need seating accommodations, our box office staff will be happy to assist.

Concessions and drinks from the bar are welcome in the space; however, please no outside food or drinks.

Click here to watch a virtual tour of our Front of House.

In today’s society of deep structural, political, and social separation, the Church promises to bring people together. It provides community, purpose, and guidance. Yet, for so many, this establishment represents indescribable pain.

In Church Hurt, we are brought together at The Summit, a sleek, community-focused church. We get up close with three women who grew up here together and now find themselves each looking to this church to get what they desperately need.

Through love, vulnerability, and Relient K, Church Hurt asks us to confront that harsh contradiction. What do we do with our institutions, like churches, schools, and theaters, that are necessary to so many but also continue to undeniably cause harm? What do we do when our personal beliefs and our relationships collide?

God-willing, I hope we find a path forward.

-Jessica

MAR | Sara Sadjadi

FAITH | Alice Wu*

JULIE | Laura Michele Erle

MAR (U/s) | Sara BenBella

FAITH (U/s) | Mindy Shore*

JULIE (U/s) | Hailey Hance

*indicates Red Theater cohort member

Click here for full cast bios.

SCENIC | Rose Johnson

PROPS | Suzanne Barnes

LIGHTING | Amina Gilbert

COSTUME | kClare McKellaston

SOUND | Kate Schnetzer

*indicates Red Theater cohort member

Click here for full designer bios.

DIRECTOR | Jessica Love*

PLAYWRIGHT | Brynne Frauenhoffer

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | Emily Marrazzo*

STAGE MANAGER | Sarah Patisaul

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR | AJ Mueth

CHARGE ARTIST | Phoebe Huggett

POSTER ARTIST | Skyler Simpson

PHOTOGRAPHER | Faith Decker*

AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE DRAMATURG | Daniel Bird Tobin

CASTING DIRECTOR | Becca Holloway*

CASTING ASSOCIATE | Cailyn Murray

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION | Hunter Baumann-Cole*

CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | Clare Brennan*

CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | Wyatt Kent*

*indicates Red Theater cohort member

Click here for full production team bios.

Church Hurt would not have been possible without the generosity of the following collaborators and supporters: Patrick Kong, Celine Berger, Bauhaus Woodshop, Amelia Seidel, Caitlin McCarthy, Chicago Green Theatre Alliance, Chicago Printworks, the League of Chicago Theatres, Pastor Kristin and the Edgewater Presbyterian Church, Paige Baumann, Marisa Macella, and the rest of Red Theater’s Board of Directors.

Special thanks to Black Cat Theatre and City Lit Theater Company for their contributions to Church Hurt’s script development.

Red Theater is funded in part by grants from The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Clinton Family Fund, and the Illinois Arts Council.