‘Welcome to Matteson!’ premieres at Orlando Shakes for a monthlong run

What’s a dinner party without a little drama? Orlando Shakes features their production of Welcome to Matteson! throughout March. This dark comedy by American playwright and screenwriter Inda Craig-Galván debuted as part of Orlando Shakes’ PlayFest back in 2020 and now returns in full vivid life.

Craig-Galván’s works often portray conflicts and politics within Black communities, but with an added layer of magical realism. In Welcome, married couple Patricia and Gerald are content and cozy in suburban Matteson, Illinois. The two host a getting-to-know-you dinner party for their new neighbors, Regina and Corey, who relocated to the suburbs after the Chicago Housing Authority demolished its roughest housing project, Cabrini-Green.

Welcome to Matteson! explores themes of classism, culture and internalized racism, as the quartet just try and make it through a meal.

This production of Craig-Galván’s play is directed by Roberta Emerson, Director of New Play Development at Orlando Shakes, and runs through March 29.

Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins St., orlandoshakes.org, $15-$64.

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This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2025.