Piccolo Theatre

I have seen a few plays here. They were all fun. I enjoyed the small theatre that only holds about 50 (guessing), guest. The actors just enjoyed themselves so much and that bled over to us. If you’re looking for a quaint little entertainment that is affordable, get tickets here. I am looking forward to the next play. We signed up for the subscription and they treat us like royalty.

A little pricey for its size, but entertaining. Enjoyed the humor that was woven throughout. The venue was eccentric, and a rather small room overall. The company worked with the space well though. The majority of seating is folding chairs on the floor. You’ll need to get there early if you would like to get one of the 3 rows of stadium seating. It is in the back of the Metra station platform, but serves a limited fare for snacks, your basic candy bars and some canned soda and water.
Note to management: The air freshener was a bit strong and was bothersome to a few people in my party the night we went (¹²⁄₁₈). Just a heads up.

After a long semester, I wanted to celebrate my last few nights in Chicago by doing something Christmas like. I took my friend here to watch Clara and the Nutcracker. We absolutely adored the play! This place was very different from all the other ones we have seen so far. It’s a very small theater with a nice small cozy amount of audience. It was very interactive, witty, and comical. We laughed the whole night away. It was worth every penny! And plus, the pricing for the play was not expensive at all!
There was a lot of street parking around the area and places to walk around and explore before or after the theater itself was a tad bit confusing to find. However, there were signs and arrows directing us the threaten. The stage crew also helped guided us as well.
This is a perfect date night activity for the holidays.

This is a little gem, wedged between the el tracks and the commuter train tracks: a tiny theater in a train depot! How cool is that? The work of this very strong ensemble is a hilarious fusion of English panto, Italian commedia dell’Arte, and miniature theater. I’ve seen two shows – A Midsummer Night’s Dream and For the Love of 3 Oranges. Both were excellent. The Shakespeare production was truly magical, and the panto, led by Joshua D. Allard as an unforgettable Dame Celia, is still making me laugh. Ticket prices are reasonable, and I can’t wait to go back.

We saw the show «SMASH» today with my wife (47), mother (73), son (11) and daughter (14) and we all loved the performance… the actors were top quality, especially given the small playhouse… I was surprised at the quality of the performance and the lines were complex given the setting (early 20^th century London)… really fantastic… We just moved to Wilmette 2 months ago, don’t know anyone affiliated with the Piccolo or in the show, and we will be back for future shows… highly recommended!

The Mystery of Irma Vep was outstanding, loved the acting and entire production! Will go back for other performances.

Go see The Mystery of Irma Vep — last show ¹⁰⁄₁₂! First time at the Piccolo Theatre and will definitely see all their shows. Outstanding production and performance in a perfect environment, what a wonderful night!

This theatre is seriously fun. I bought two tickets for the play «Bah Humbug» and my husband, and I went to see it this afternoon. The theatre is located inside the Evanston Main St. Metra station. How cool is that?! When you walk in, it kind of feels old-​fashioned. The staff are super nice. There is a place where you can order snacks and drinks, even chai lattes and hot chocolate. While the play was labeled as «family». I had such fun and felt like a kid again. They really get the audience involved. Even though my husband and I didn’t have children with us, we didn’t feel out of place at all with all the families. People of all ages were enjoying the show. The only bad thing was, parking on Main St. was not easy for me so we parked on a residential street about 8 blocks away. I am sure there is parking somewhere, I just don’t know where. They also support a children’s theatre camp, which is even more awesome since they are doing good works in the community.

This may be a smaller theatre company but they are not lacking for talent and quality. (and no I am not just saying that cuz my cousin is playing Anya in THE CHERRY ORCHARD!!)
You enter the building and walk into a cute old timey café type thing. You can enjoy a cup of coffee and snack before the show. The staff was awesome! We got there super early and they made sure to see if we needed anything from the coffee bar before setting up for the night.
Quality all around! Go see THE CHERRY ORCHARD!

Where is the Piccolo Theatre? It’s hidden in the most unusual place I’ve ever been for a performance… a train station. The Piccolo is located in Evanston’s Main Street Station, also known as Evanston’s Art Depot. The small signs are the key to finding this tiny theater. Once you enter through the street side entrance you have to walk up a flight of stairs then out onto the train platform and then over a couple doors is the train ticket office and the theatre. I know, sounds crazy! The theatre only seats maybe 40 people and the stage I’m guessing is no bigger then 20ft.
Piccolo’s plays are an assortment of classical and contemporary comedies as well as original comedic and dramatic works from international sources. The Piccolo Theatre Kids Series performs recreations of English Victorian Pantos and puppet shows. For my first experience at the Piccolo, a group and I saw «Perseus and Medusa», a comedic planto based on the mythological characters. Although child like in story and comedic performance, it did have some adult wit and it was full of energy. Each actor gave it their all, even when audience participation wasn’t at its best. The play also featured scantly clad woman singing and dancing, which was awesome but it left me confused as to whether or not this was a kids play. Though I didn’t so much enjoy the interpretation of the story, the performance, costumes, and overall excitement of the actors makes Piccolo worth another shot or two.

For what this theatre is, I think it does a fine job. Jacob is right. It’s kind of difficult to find, although they did put a sandwich board on Main Street to direct patrons to the theater. It’s about two feet from the Metra stop (actually inside of the Metra station), so no excuses for people without cars. It’s tiny with a minimal set design and lighting so don’t expect Wicked or any other show that would be at the Goodman or Cadillac Palace. I saw Botanic Garden here. I thought it was excellent, albeit very bittersweet. I would go again provided I found discount tickets. The full price tickets are just too steep for a broke ass beotch like myself. Give it a try though. If you like small theater with fantastic acting, I think you’d enjoy it.

Quaint theater found in Evanston conveniently next to a train stop. If you are visiting for your first time and thought (like I did) to use web links or web maps to get a better look at the area, they all look confusing. The theater is found between a train over pass and another bridge. It’s hidden, but there. Ample street parking, though you will have to walk a few blocks. I used quaint because it’s a good word for teeny tiny. Theater is on the second floor. There are two exits as you enter the theater. One entrance and one exit. Sounds so final? Three rows of seats across that are butt to butt. Average people seat fine, but a guy like me needed a little more room for comfort. Breathing space is shared a bit too intimately for a first date. Also, once the show starts there isn’t any space for you to get up from your seat and go out. You have to wait for an intermission. Plan wisely.
During intermission they have a café area available with juices, soft drinks and gourmet chocolates. It’s a bit pricey, bring cash.
Due to the size of the venue, rules and content of certain plays, I’d say its ok for anyone at least pre-​teen age plus. I only mention age in this case because I watched a play which had some dialogue and jokes I didn’t think were suitable for small children. However, a few grandmother’s thought it was ok for their young granddaughters (approx age 8) Parents of any kind: respect the audience and the play. (A kid whining during the show to get out of their seat affects everything.) With no where to move, you’re stuck. (Just saying)
Ticket prices are moderate; at times you can find tickets on the internet for the cost of a carnival ride.
I’d caught «Lust, Lies and Marriage». Good show for the discounted rate I got my tickets at. Funny, but too lengthy.