Lookingglass Theatre Company announces Come As You Aren’t Ball, a premier costumed benefit celebrating and supporting the Ensemble’s acclaimed tradition of creating bold new work. Co-chaired by Founding Ensemble Member David Schwimmer and board member Nancy Ali, the event invites guests to arrive in imaginative “character couture,” drawing inspiration from the iconic costume designs that have defined Lookingglass productions across the years.
Guests and media are encouraged to explore the dedicated event website, a visually rich gallery of Lookingglass’s most unforgettable costumes, created to spark inspiration and celebrate the artistry behind the work. For details and inspiration, visit www.comeasyouarent.com.
Come As You Aren’t Ball takes place Saturday, May 2, 2026, at The Wellsley, 504 N. Wells Street in Chicago.
Rooted in the extraordinary world that Lookingglass creates every day, the event draws participants into a legacy that spans from the company’s beginnings as a scrappy ensemble of artists to its recognition as a Tony Award–winning leader in American theatre. Throughout its history, Lookingglass has remained committed to the belief that art should ignite curiosity, expand empathy, and bring people together. Honoring decades of costume design, the event celebrates a shared spirit of imagination among the artists, educators, audiences, and supporters who make this creative world possible.
Special guest appearances include a performance by drag, cabaret, opera, theatre and live art star Le Gateau Chocolat, magician Benjamin Barnes and DJ Lady D. The evening’s celebrity co-hosts and a judge for the costume contest will be announced at a later date.
The honorees are Wintrust (The Corporate Leadership Award), Steve and Lorrayne Weiss (The Arts Champion Award) and architect John Morris (The Service to the Arts Tribute).
In true Lookingglass fashion, the evening will be unlike all others. The imaginative costume ball unfolds over two acts, each offering its own world of wonder. The evening begins at 5:30pm with a pink carpet arrival to set the tone for the unique and vibrant event.
Act I, beginning at 5:30pm, welcomes an exclusive group of 170 guests into a vibrant, immersive costumed cocktail and dining experience filled with character, color, and surprise. It includes an elegant dinner, curated program, fabulous live auction, and special guest appearances. All Act I guests are invited to stay for Act II.
Act II, beginning at 8:30pm, transforms the night into a dazzling dance party and celebration for 400 guests, where creativity reigns and the unexpected becomes the star of the show. Guests will experience savory and sweet bites, open bar, rousing special guest performances, delightful silent auction, and the acclaimed DJ Lady D to carry the party through the night.
The Lead Supporting Sponsor is Wintrust. Raise the Curtain Sponsors are Cresset Capital, JSSI & Book Family Foundation and Rich Chapman. The Media Partner is Modern Luxury and the Producing Partner is COACT Agency.
Tickets, $1500 (Act I and II) and $500 (Act II), are available at www.comeasyouarent.com.
About Lookingglass Theatre Company
Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered. Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation. Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer’s adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin’s circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Looking Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and dozens of cities throughout the United States.
