Review: 'Come Back, Little Sheba' at American Blues Theater Is a Powerful Staging

The production features exceptional lead performances and an intimate, clear-eyed take on the classic postwar drama.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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American Blues Theater's new production of William Inge's 1950 play 'Come Back, Little Sheba' is a powerful staging that honors the original work while bringing it to life for a modern audience. Directed with precision by Elyse Dolan, the production features standout performances from Gwendolyn Whiteside as Lola Delany and Philip Earl Johnson as her husband Doc, capturing the quiet despair and fragile routine of the long-married Midwestern couple.

Why it matters

When Chicago's 'off-loop' theater scene hits its mark, it can produce work that transcends limited budgets and reminds audiences why the city's small stages matter. This production of 'Come Back, Little Sheba' is a prime example, delivering a clear-eyed, intimate take on Inge's postwar drama that resonates with contemporary relevance.

The details

The play follows Lola and Doc Delany, a Midwestern couple whose lives have settled into a fragile routine. Their balance shifts when they take in a young college student, Marie, as a boarder, stirring up regrets the Delanys have spent years trying to bury. Lola's repeated calls for her missing dog, Little Sheba, thread through the play as an emblem of the life she once imagined for herself.

  • The play is set in the 1950s, shortly after World War II.
  • The American Blues Theater production opened on February 18, 2026 and is scheduled to run through March 22, 2026.

The players

Gwendolyn Whiteside

The theater's executive artistic director, who gives a performance of remarkable clarity as Lola Delany.

Philip Earl Johnson

An actor who matches Whiteside's performance with a sharply observed portrayal of Lola's husband, Doc.

Elyse Dolan

The director of the American Blues Theater production, who has staged the play with precision and restraint.

William Inge

The playwright who wrote the original 1950 production of 'Come Back, Little Sheba.'

American Blues Theater

The Chicago theater company that is currently staging the production of 'Come Back, Little Sheba.'

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What’s next

The American Blues Theater production of 'Come Back, Little Sheba' is scheduled to run through March 22, 2026. Tickets are available on the theater's website.

The takeaway

This production of 'Come Back, Little Sheba' at the American Blues Theater reminds audiences why Inge's postwar drama continues to resonate, delivering a clear-eyed, intimate staging that showcases exceptional lead performances and the enduring power of Chicago's off-loop theater scene.