In March 2020, playwright Heather Chrisler was holding auditions for the world premiere of her first play: an adaptation of Little Women at First Folio Theatre, where she’s an artistic associate. Actor Heather Chrisler, meanwhile, was in tech for The Last Match at Writers Theatre. In both Oak Brook and Glencoe, she recalls, everyone had a gut sense of what was coming and nobody wanted it to be real.

All are a welcome departure from the toxic triumvirate of anger, depression, and guilt that Chrisler speaks of, with the caveat that “My grief wasn’t special. It happened to everyone.” 

First among the “things” that got busy: Chrisler herself. Initially, she found solace in Thimble. The tale of the tiny bewhiskered hero is a study in grief and resilience, voiced by some of Chicago’s finest actors and accompanied by Chrisler’s own marvelously whimsical (but decidedly not twee) drawings. (One of those performers is Chrisler’s husband Mark Chrisler, a playwright and creator of the popular podcast The Constant.)

But understanding the grim context of the cancellations didn’t alleviate the sorrow or the anger. In March 2020, First Folio’s production of Little Women had been in development for two years. “It was an absolutely devastating day,” she says.

“I drew Thimble and wrote this little story as something to help me through my sadness,” she says. “A lot of the animals in it talk about wanting to escape their cages. They have this feeling of being taken from the world they’re supposed to be living in. It’s a sweet, calm, gentle story but I can’t divorce it from the way I felt in the early days of the pandemic.”

For director Fromm, returning to rehearsal meant that Anna Ziegler‘s drama about tennis professionals took on additional meaning. Chrisler plays Galina in the production, girlfriend to an up-and-coming player stirring things up on the pro circuit.

The Last Match, 4/28-5/30, available streaming with purchase anytime, writerstheatre.org, $40 “solo” ticket, $65 “duo,” $85 “trio,” and $100 “ensemble” (4+). Don’t Stop for Monkeys, dontstopformonkeys.weebly.com,  F