Theatre Y Presents
CHARGES (The Supplicants) German title: Die Schutzbefohlenen
“those entrusted to protection”
Written by Elfriede Jelinek
Translation by Gitta Honnegar
American Premiere by Theatre Y
A powerful elegy for the plight of refugees, from ancient times to the present.
Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek’s Charges (The Supplicants) is a cry for the displaced. Originally written to address the global refugee crisis, Theatre Y’s production—co-directed by Melissa Lorraine and Héctor Álvarez— turns the lens squarely on modern-day America. In Chicago’s own neighborhoods, the threat of removal looms over our neighbors every day.
“Nobody can make his own suffering sound convincing.” – Peachum in The Threepenny Opera
“One should open one’s eyes and take a new look at cruelty.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
“The point of art is to show people that life is worth living by showing that it isn’t.” – Fanny Howe
“Our raft-making won’t stop the fires from flaring up,
but it may teach us how to sit with the heat without burning away.” –Báyò Akómoláfé
February 26-March 29th, 2026 / Thursday- Saturday 7 pm & Sundays 5 pm
Location: Theatre Y – 3611 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60623
FREE and open to the public. PLEASE RSVP – TICKETS: www.theatre-y.com ( LIMITED SEATING!)
All performances are FREE to the public thanks to members who donate as little as $5/month ($60/year).
We welcome DONATIONS and MEMBERS!
About Theatre Y:
Theatre Y is a Chicago-based international incubator that creates connections between diverse artists seeking mutual growth through collaboration. Since 2006, Theatre Y has been a point of convergence for diverse activisms and all of the uncomfortable conversations that happen as a result. Artistic director Melissa Lorraine and the Theatre Y ensemble are committed to continuously re-thinking the practice of theater as a tool of liberation and a revolutionary practice, bringing Theatre Y to venues ranging from La MaMa’s historical theater to Illinois prisons. Newly and permanently relocated to the West Side (on the border of North Lawndale and Little Village), Theatre Y, now in its 20th year of experimental productions, challenging international content, and with a member-based FREE theater model occupies a unique place in Chicago’s theater community.