Writers Theatre (WT), a Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winner, brought together more than 15 faith, cultural, and educational organizations through The Stoppard Series, an initiative inspired by its largest production to date: Tom Stoppard’s award-winning drama, Leopoldstadt, directed by Carey Perloff.
The production centers on Jewish identity, family history, and belonging, themes WT believed deserved a life beyond the stage. The Stoppard Series paired the production with events hosted alongside partner organizations, creating opportunities for dialogue, learning and connection at a time when those experiences feel increasingly rare.
One of those events was an interfaith Shabbat gathering hosted by Congregation Sukkat Shalom that drew more than 110 participants to experience Jewish traditions, share a meal, and engage in conversation.
“It takes courage to walk into a house of worship that isn’t familiar to you,” says Rabbi Ally Tick-Brill of Congregation Sukkat Shalom. “If more of us approached one another with that kind of openness and curiosity, our world would be a better place.”
Members of Am Shalom and Glencoe Union Church attended Leopoldstadt together, one of 58 organized group visits to the production, including eight from faith-based organizations.
“Our community is fortunate to have this kind of purposeful and excellent work right in our backyard. It was meaningful […] to connect with Leopoldstadt alongside Am Shalom,” says Reverend Erin Raska, Senior Pastor at Glencoe Union Church. “I hope that those from Glencoe Union Church took away a continued commitment to care for our Jewish neighbors as well as a renewed sense of the faith we share.”
The series also included a collaboration with the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center (IHMEC), which provided research and guidance for a lobby installation on Austrian Jewish life, the Holocaust, and Stoppard’s later-in-life discovery of his Jewish ancestry.
“Leopoldstadt gave IHMEC the opportunity to help audiences deepen their understanding of the Holocaust’s human toll in a way that complements our mission of education and remembrance,” says Kelley Szany, Senior Vice President of Education and Exhibitions at IHMEC, which will officially open its newly renovated Skokie campus on Nov. 11. “We hope audiences left with a renewed commitment to confronting hatred and preserving memory in their own lives.”
In partnership with Jewish Studio Project, WT offered Extend the Experience, post-show workshops that approached memory, family, and loss through creative reflection.
“Through Jewish learning, personal reflection, and open-ended art-making, the session gave participants a way to work through their thoughts, opinions, and lived experiences in response to the show,” says Leenie Baker Gindy, Director of Partnerships at Jewish Studio Project.
The Stoppard Series engaged approximately 700 participants and more than 20 artists, scholars, clergy members and guest experts. Its success inspired WT’s new Get Closer Series, which will bring conversations, workshops and community gatherings to every mainstage production.
“Leopoldstadt is full of history, but it is not a history play. The questions it asks are enduring: Where is home? What guarantees or threatens our safety?” says Rabbi David Chapma of Congregation Beth Shalom. “Jewish families are still asking all of these questions today, sometimes with even more urgency.”
How to Help
Writers Theatre welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each season and has helped establish the North Shore of Chicago as a premier cultural destination. Donors help sustain community programming like The Stoppard Series and the new Get Closer Series.
