Strive for more than the Mark II Lounge on Thursdays for the rest of the quarter and venture into downtown Chicago for the new schedule of Theater Thursdays. A Chicago staple – even after only a year’s existence – Theater Thursdays is a weekly traveling theater party. Offering a chance to meet friends or make new ones, Theater Thursdays serves up pre- and post-show food and drinks, blending a cocktail party atmosphere with a diverse selection of theater.

Created by the League of Chicago Theatres, an alliance of theaters that uses its collective strength to promote the Chicago theater industry across the globe, Theater Thursdays is a unique, insider’s look at the thriving Chicago theater scene.

The new schedule of Theater Thursdays is an eclectic mix of plays, playing at seven League-member theaters. Highlighted by Anton Chekhof’s character-driven, life-centered Three Sisters, Oscar-winning actress Julie Andrews’ directorial debut in the 1920s romance The Boy Friend and the timeless classic A Christmas Carol, this year-ending schedule will not disappoint.

In November, Theater Thursdays attendees will receive a free pass to the Merchandise Mart’s “One of a Kind Show and Sale,” a world-famous Christmas market. And even if you cannot make it to the featured Theater Thursdays shows, there are discount offers and promotions at League-member theaters across Chicago.

The new schedule of Theater Thursdays runs from Nov. 3 to Dec. 15, with a Thanksgiving break Nov. 24. Tickets cost $15 to $49. Tickets and a complete listing of the Theater Thursday line-up, as well as additional information about pre- or post-show events, are available online at www.chicagoplays.com.

– Michael Burgner