Athenaeum Center Theatre Presents Nick Payne's Award-Winning Drama Constellations
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CHICAGO - illiNews -- This fall, Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture invites audiences to explore love, possibility, and the mysteries of the universe with Nick Payne's critically acclaimed Constellations. Running September 12–October 19, 2025, this emotionally resonant work will be staged in the intimate Studio A, directed by J. R. Sullivan.

A chance meeting between Marianne, a theoretical physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, sparks a relationship unfolding across multiple parallel universes. Scenes repeat with subtle or dramatic changes, revealing how a single word or decision can alter a life. Inspired by quantum mechanics and string theory, Payne's inventive storytelling examines fate, free will, and the fragile beauty of human connection.

The production stars Kaylah Crosby as Marianne and Christian Davis Aldridge as Roland, with May Heinecke and Brian Wiegand as understudies. The creative team includes scenic designers Olivia Volk and Skokie Tseumah, costume designer Clara Schmidt, lighting designer Aria Morris, and sound designer Dylan Kinter. Performances run September 12–October 19, 2025, Thursdays through Sundays with select matinees.

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Coinciding with Athenaeum Center's Entangled Beauty series—exploring intersections of art, science, and complexity—Constellations pairs theatrical storytelling with public conversations on science and beauty, inspiring dialogue about humanity's place in the cosmos.

The play is part of Athenaeum Center's 2025–2026 Theatrical Season, The Search for Meaning, uniting works that investigate profound questions of identity, morality, and transcendence.

About J. R. Sullivan
J. R. Sullivan is a director and producer whose career spans theaters nationwide and abroad. He led New York's Pearl Theatre as Artistic Director from 2009–2013, earning Drama Desk recognition for the acting company. His directing credits range from Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams at the Utah Shakespeare Festival to acclaimed Off-Broadway productions such as Lillian Hellman's Days to Come. Most recently, he directed the world premiere of Parcel from America in Dublin, with a New York production planned for 2026.

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About Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture
Founded in 1911 by the Redemptorists of St. Alphonsus as "a home for intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth," the Athenaeum Center carries this legacy forward by creating and presenting works that reestablish purpose and transcendence through shared experiences of beauty across theatre, music, visual art, film, and dance.

https://athenaeumcenter.org/events/2025/constellations/