"Hard times make for hard hearts. Estle, who seems poised to pick up the local baton as a masterful director of mid-American realism David Cromer left behind when he went to New York, understands that. And in absorbing production, he lets us see the cracks in the hearts as they fill with the dust of dreams deferred." -Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune
Cody Estle
Cody became the Artistic Director at Next Act Theatre in December 2022. Previously he served as the Artistic Director at Raven Theatre in Chicago. His directing credits include The Treasurer at Next Act Theatre; Every Brilliant Thing at The Weidner; The Luckiest (2022 Jeff Award nominee for Best Production and Best Director), Sundown, Yellow Moon, How I Learned To Drive (named by Windy City Times as the best of Chicago theatre in 2019), The Gentleman Caller (2019 Jeff Award winning new play by Philip Dawkins), The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses (named by Chicago Tribune honorable mention as one of the year’s best in 2016), Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the year’s best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl and Dating Walter Dante at Raven Theatre; The Garbologists and By the Water (named by Chicago Sun-Times honorable mention as one of the top theatre productions of 2017) at Northlight Theatre; Damascus at Strawdog Theatre; Five Mile Lake at Shattered Globe Theatre; American Hero at First Floor Theatre; Scarcity at Redtwist Theatre; The Seagull and Watch on the Rhine at The Artistic Home; Don’t Go Gentle at Haven Theatre; Uncle Bob at Mary-Arrchie Theatre, and Hospitality Suite at Citadel Theatre. Cody was recently named one of NewCity’s Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago. He is a member of SDC and is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago.
Cody became the Artistic Director at Next Act Theatre in December 2022. Previously he served as the Artistic Director at Raven Theatre in Chicago. His directing credits include The Treasurer at Next Act Theatre; Every Brilliant Thing at The Weidner; The Luckiest (2022 Jeff Award nominee for Best Production and Best Director), Sundown, Yellow Moon, How I Learned To Drive (named by Windy City Times as the best of Chicago theatre in 2019), The Gentleman Caller (2019 Jeff Award winning new play by Philip Dawkins), The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses (named by Chicago Tribune honorable mention as one of the year’s best in 2016), Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the year’s best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl and Dating Walter Dante at Raven Theatre; The Garbologists and By the Water (named by Chicago Sun-Times honorable mention as one of the top theatre productions of 2017) at Northlight Theatre; Damascus at Strawdog Theatre; Five Mile Lake at Shattered Globe Theatre; American Hero at First Floor Theatre; Scarcity at Redtwist Theatre; The Seagull and Watch on the Rhine at The Artistic Home; Don’t Go Gentle at Haven Theatre; Uncle Bob at Mary-Arrchie Theatre, and Hospitality Suite at Citadel Theatre. Cody was recently named one of NewCity’s Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago. He is a member of SDC and is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago.
