Chicago Shakespeare Theater welcomes 'The Walk with Little Amal'

Chicago Shakespeare Theater welcomes The Walk with Little Amal, the internationally celebrated 12‑foot‑tall puppet of a 10‑year‑old girl, as part of her epic 6,000‑mile journey across the United States this fall. Amal will make her first appearance in Chicago at the Theater’s iconic marquee on Navy Pier on Thursday, Sept. 28, proceeding from Lake Michigan toward the city’s skyline, in a free event for all ages on September 28 at 5:30p.m. Presented in partnership with Navy Pier, the event will feature a performance by Uniting Voices (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir), along with appearances by A.B.L.E. and Chicago Children’s Museum, in collaboration with the Syrian Community Network.

As she arrives in Chicago, Amal will ask, “What city, friends, is this?”—echoing Shakespeare’s poignant line from Twelfth Night—and explore belonging in a new place through the vibrancy and joy of art and expression. Audiences of all ages will join performers and partners to welcome Amal, helping her turn an overwhelming arrival in an unfamiliar place into a celebration of her own capacity for creating beauty and finding community. Her journey on the Pier will begin in front of Chicago Shakespeare and will conclude at Polk Bros Park. At the event, audiences will have the opportunity to learn more about and donate to local groups working to support asylum seekers in Chicago.

Amal’s visit to the Pier will begin outside Chicago Shakespeare with a traditional welcome by the Syrian Community Network, followed by an invitation to engage with performers from A.B.L.E. near Navy Pier's Wave Wall. During a stop outside Chicago Children’s Museum, Amal will greet the 16‑foot‑tall “Flyboy” sculpture by Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, a tribute to the importance of childhood for all to realize every child’s potential. The event coincides with a puppet-themed Free Family Day at the Museum from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In Amal’s final stop at the Pier, more than 70 members of the youth choir Uniting Voices will perform their original song “We All Live Here” in Polk Bros Park.

Amal’s time in Chicago is part of her Walk Across America, for which more than 35 towns and cities from Boston to San Diego and more than 1,000 artists and arts organizations will create hundreds of events to welcome her. Amal’s journeys of art and hope celebrate the rich stories of refugees, immigrants and displaced people, and the communities that welcome them. Everyone is welcome to walk with Amal.

The Walk with Little Amal will be presented September 28, at 5:30 p.m. beginning outside the Chicago Shakespeare Theater marquee on Navy Pier (800 E. Grand Avenue). Free admission for audiences of all ages; no tickets or advance reservations required. For more information, contact the Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater’s website at chicagoshakes.com.

More information about this event can be found at chicagoshakes.com/littleamal or on social media at @chicagoshakes and @walkwithamal.

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