About the Festival

The Act Well Your Part Festival is an annual gathering dedicated to exploring the relationship between theatre and civic life in Chicago.

Presented by the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum in conjunction with an exhibition in the Residents’ Dining Hall, the festival draws inspiration from more than a century of theatrical activity at Hull-House. From the settlement’s early neighborhood theatre to its broad influence on Chicago storefront and Improv, Hull-House has long served as a place where artistic expression and civic engagement meet.

Taking its name from the epigraph once displayed above the original Hull-House stage, “Act Well Your Part, There All the Honor Lies,” the festival asks how theatre can continue to strengthen communities, foster dialogue, and imagine civic futures. Through performances, conversations, workshops, readings, and public programs, the festival connects contemporary artists and audiences with the histories that helped shape Chicago’s theatre landscape.

Information about the 2026 festival will be announced soon.