The Taming, by Lauren Gunderson
Directed by Anna Rachel Troy
Staged Reading – One Night Only
Saturday, November 7, 2026 @ 7:00 PM
The Flight Deck, 1020 W Bryn Mawr, First Floor
Pay-What-You-Can! // Suggested $20
In this hilarious, raucous, all-female “power-play” inspired by Shakespeare’s Shrew, contestant Katherine has the political aspirations to match her beauty pageant ambitions.
Lauren Gunderson has been one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015, topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award and a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. She is a playwright, screenwriter, musical book writer and children’s author. She graduated from NYU Tisch as a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. LaurenGunderson.com
Cast: Marley Doakes, Ebby Offord*, Ruby Sevcik, Mary Eliza Willingham
Adelinda, by Hannah Brand
In partnership with Expand the Canon
Directed by Midsommer Flight ensemble member Joshua Pennington
Staged Reading – One Night Only
Monday, September 14, 2026 @ 7:30 PM
The Understudy, 5531 N Clark Street, Chicago 60640
Pay-What-You-Can!
The willful and rebellious Adelinda is set to marry the wealthy Count D’Olstain – much to her weary parents’ relief. The only problem – Adelinda is already secretly married to a servant! Schemes and mistaken identities abound, lost children are returned, and some snooty parents get a rightful scolding in this comical and quippy caper about the lengths we go to for a happily ever after.
Hannah Brand (1754-1821) was an English actress, playwright, and poet. She began her career running a prestigious girls’ school with her sister, but by her late 30s, had decided to leave teaching and pursue a life in the theater. She published a book of poetry and plays in 1798, including Adelinda, which seems not to have been performed in her lifetime. In 1794, Brand retired from the stage and returned to the world of education, working as governess. Though her work was tragically overlooked in her time, she is considered by many modern historians to be a pioneering figure in eighteenth-century drama.
Adelinda is one of the selections from Expand the Canon, which uncovers and uplifts classic plays by women & underrepresented genders– and is a call to action to produce them. This year’s staged reading marks Midsommer Flight’s third annual partnership with Expand the Canon.
