Your Chicago Guide’s tickets for two to the press viewing of Advance Man courtesy of Strawdog Theatre Company.
Strawdog Theatre Company kicked off its 39th season with a stellar staging of Advance Man: Part One of The Honeycomb Trilogy, a three-part apocalyptic epic written by Mac Rogers. Part One is directed by Noah Elman, and features a well-versed ensemble cast. The show is currently on stage at the Factory Theatre in Rogers Park, and is worth taking the trip to the northernmost Chicago border.
The Honeycomb Trilogy spans a 20-year alien invasion of Earth, all told from the perspective of a single suburban living room. The epic story focuses on the Cooke family —specifically siblings Ronnie and Abbie— and how they split apart on opposite sides of an extraterrestrial occupation by insect-like “apian” overlords.
Part One is set two years after humanity’s first manned mission to Mars. Astronaut Bill Cooke returns from Mars carrying dangerous secrets and illicit cargo that will radically alter humanity. His wife Amelia and teenage children, Ronnie and Abbie, discover that Bill and his crew have plotted a catastrophic alien invasion designed to reset Earth into an agrarian hive-controlled society.
Advance Man kicks off a trilogy of plays, both intimate and global in nature. They ask us: Have humans gone too far and is it someone else’s turn? In the fast paced, expertly acted first play of Strawdog Theatre’s new two-year project, science fiction mixes with horror to tackle themes of xenophobia and climate change. The future of humanity is in fact grim, yet we could not look away.
The Strawdog Theatre production of Advance Man: Part One of The Honeycomb Trilogy is on stage at the Factory Theatre in Rogers Park, q623 West Howard Street. Tickets are available here. The play will run through September 27, 2026.