The Magic of Lady M. — Fat Theatre Project — Rhino Fest 2026

A jaded law student/Shakespeare enthusiast returns to the comfort of her childlike bedroom, and acts out her fantasy of Macbeth in a magical realm in the context of the American government. This modern day retelling is from Lady Macbeth's point of view and the concept of a woman as president is explored. It focuses on the magic and sexuality of the story, with a sex positive Lady Macbeth, bisexual Macbeth (he used to be with King Duncan/a.k.a. Trumpcan) and a new meaning of not being born of a woman.

By LaurA! Force Scruggs
Directed by Rory Jobst
Featuring Jessica Lauren Fisher and Kit Kelly

Date: Friday, October 9th, Saturday, October 10th and Friday, October 23rd at 9:00pm
Venue: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (1650 W. Foster)

Tickets: All Rhino Fest tickets are offered at sliding scale prices, in an effort to make theater more accessible to more people in our communities. We say "pay what you can" and we mean it. Rhino Fest is co-produced by the Curious Theatre Branch and the performance venues. Additional donations are always welcome.

More about the play:

I was commissioned to write "Magic of Ladie M." by Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois. Then, "Magic of Ladie M." received readings in Three Brothers' Theatre's Waukegan Theatre Festival as well as a reading at Three Cat Productions' New Works Festival in Chicago; both in 2018. Next, it had a performative reading with Act Your Page online, in 2020. Then, it had a reading with Violet Surprise out of Chicago, online, in 2021 and it was a finalist of San Diego's Trinity Theatre Company's 2024 New Works Festival. Finally, it had a reading in August at The 2025 Spilled Ink Series at The Camel City Playhouse in Winston Salem, North Carolina. This is the first time it is receiving a full production.

LaurA! Force Scruggs is ecstatic and honored to be working with The Fat Theatre Project and Rhino Fest! She is a produced, published and commissioned playwright. She has her B.S. in Elementary Education, with a Jr. High/Middle School Theatre endorsement and M.A. in Communication, Media and Theatre. She taught theatre for over ten years (ages 18 months - senior citizens) in a variety of environments. She completed a 2020 Playwright Residency at Three Cat Productions in Chicago. Additionally, she was a 2021 and 2023 Write On, Door County Resident. Her play, “Punk Grandpa,” has been produced at over 30 venues and published twice. Laura has been the recipient of such awards as: The Panel Award for her play “Emissary” in Eclectic Full Contact Theatre’s 2024 Patchwork Play Festival; Chicago Naked Angels’ 2021 Crossover Episode Selection / for her play “Sexy Grandma;” and several awards for her play, “Punk Grandpa:” 2020 ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest Quarter Finalist; 2016 Sold Out & Hangover Awards at The NYC FRIGID Festival; Outstanding Performance in a Solo Show Award and The Congeniality Award, 2015 NYC Planet Connections.

In addition, Laura’s work has been performed internationally: at The Adelaide FringeVIEW, as a reading with England's Under the Headstocks and a scene was read with Canada's Sing for your Supper online.

Laura’s “Punk Grandpa” and “Heart of Fairy” are both featured on ProPlay, https://proplay.ws/

The Fat Theatre Project seeks to tell stories by/about/for/with fat artists. Sometimes we do plays that are about being fat. Sometimes we do plays that are about being a person.

Our work is imaginative, compassionate, and bold. We strive to pay artists for their work while also keeping art accessible for audiences.

https://fattheatreproject.com/home/

About the venue: Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble is located at 1650 W Foster Ave in Andersonville, in the same building as Ebenezer Lutheran Church. The performance space is not currently accessible by wheelchair; to enter the auditorium, there are eight steps to a landing, and then eight steps to the entrance. CDE is within walking distance of the Foster (92) and Clark (22) bus lines. Street parking is generally possible nearby, but check signs for permit zones and time-based restrictions. Soft drinks will be available for purchase before shows begin. More information can be found at https://www.danztheatre.org.

About Rhino Fest: The event that became the Rhinoceros Theater Festival began in 1988 as an offshoot of the Bucktown Arts Fest, and in its first year featured just two days of performances, including work by Jenny Magnus and Beau O'Reilly. When the event's founder moved away from Chicago in 1990, he asked a ragtag group of local artists (including Beau O'Reilly and Theatre of the Reconstruction’s Scott Turner) to keep the festival going, and the Rhino Fest was born. The Curious Theatre Branch went on to produce the Rhino across many neighborhoods and venues over the years, with events variously taking place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, Rogers Park, Andersonville and Avondale; at spaces including the Lunar Cabaret and Full Moon Café, the Neo-Futurarium, the Society for New Things, The Garage, The Firehouse, Remains Theatre, and Prop Thtr. In the mid-2000s, Rhino Fest settled at Prop Thtr in Avondale as its long-term base, and Prop and Curious co-produced the festival among a shifting group of curators for many years. Following the closure of Prop's Elston Avenue space in 2020 and a year off during the height of the pandemic, Rhino Fest is once more itinerant, currently producing more than 30 shows at The Labyrinth Club, Chicago Danztheater, and Chicago Dramatists.

https://rhinofest.com/