THE SWALLOW By Guillem Clua

THE SWALLOW

By Guillem Clua
English Translation by Tim Gutteridge
Directed by Laine Rogers

September 11–27, 2026
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM | Sundays at 3:00 PM

Open Space Arts
1411 W. Wilson Ave., Chicago

About the Play

Open Space Arts presents THE SWALLOW, an intimate and deeply moving two-character drama by internationally produced Catalan playwright Guillem Clua, author of SMILEY, which Open Space Arts presented in an extended successful run in June and July 2026.

Set during a private singing lesson, THE SWALLOW begins with a choral director and a new student working together on a song. But as the lesson unfolds, what seems at first to be a simple musical exchange becomes something more personal, more complicated, and more revealing.

With humor, tension, and emotional precision, the play explores grief, memory, family, faith, identity, and the stories people tell in order to survive. Music becomes both a refuge and a doorway, allowing two strangers to move toward truths that have been difficult to face.

THE SWALLOW is a powerful theatrical encounter about loss, compassion, and the possibility of connection when people are willing to listen.

Performance Schedule

THE SWALLOW runs September 11–27, 2026, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM.

A possible extension would run October 2–18, 2026, with the same performance schedule: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM.

About the Author

Guillem Clua is a playwright from Barcelona, Spain. He is considered one of the most innovative voices in the Spanish theater scene and part of a new generation of playwrights born in the seventies who are transforming the Catalan stage with their plays. Critics have described his work as multidisciplinary, eclectic, and very much concerned with narrative structure and plot. Storytelling is at the heart of his style, which combines elements of comedy, thriller and melodrama, a vibrant rhythm, and the unabashed influence of other media, such as television and cinema.

Guillem Clua holds a degree in Journalism from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) and started his theatre training at the London Guildhall University (UK) in 1994. In 2000 he completed his theatre studies in the prestigious Obrador de la Sala Beckett, where he was taught by Jordi Galceran, Enric Nolla, David Plana, Sergi Pompermayer, Martin Crimp and Juan Mayorga, among others.

His first play, INVISIBLES, won the 2002 Theatre Prize Ciutat d’Alcoi, one of the most important awards for new plays in Spain. He also wrote the stage adaptation of Thomas Mann’s DEATH IN VENICE (Sala Muntaner, 2002). In 2004, his play LA PELL EN FLAMES (SKIN IN FLAMES) (Villarroel Teatre, 2005) won the Ciutat d’Alcoi for the second time and the 2005 Critics Choice Award for Best Play of the Year. Its English translation premiered in several American cities as well. Clua is also the author of numerous and celebrated short plays, such as GOLIATH, ANDROMEDA OR DORIS DAY, ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, presented at the Sala Beckett. In 2006, the playwright moved to New York, where he presented the English version of GUST DE CENDRA (TASTE OF ASHES) at the Spanish Repertory Theatre. His last play MARBURG, the most ambitious so far, premiered at the National Theatre of Catalonia in May 2010, making Clua the youngest playwright that’s ever had the chance to premiere in that venue. His first musical, KILLER, premiered in Barcelona in January 2011 (Sala Muntaner) and transferred to a bigger venue after its run (Villarroel Teatre) due to the great success. Clua is currently working on his last full-length play, LA TERRA PROMESA (PROMISED LAND), a farce about climate change that will be produced in Barcelona in 2012.

In recent years he has worked as scriptwriter for the television series EL COR DE LA CIUTAT(TV3), of which he became the head writer for the 2005/06 and 2007/08 seasons. Clua is currently working for other Spanish TV shows like 90-60-90 and LA RIERA, and is writing the big screen adaptation of his play MARBURG.

https://guillemclua.com/

About the Director

Laine Rogers is a Chicago-based theatre artist whose work includes directing, assistant directing, stage management, dramaturgy, design, marketing, and production. She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University, and her credits include work with MadKap Productions, Piven Theatre, Raven Theatre, Concert Opera of Greater Chicago, PrideArts Center, Actors Training Center, Muskegon Civic Theatre, and DePaul University. She has worked on productions including A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, BOY GETS GIRL, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, PRIVATE LIVES, TOP GIRLS, LOVE AND INFORMATION, and L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI.

OSA Announces Partnership with Instituto Cervant

Open Space Arts is delighted to announce a new partnership with Instituto Cervantes Chicago, part of a worldwide nonprofit organization created by the Spanish government to promote the language, culture, and creativity of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.

This partnership reflects Open Space Arts’ growing commitment to international theater and film, and to building meaningful connections with cultural organizations throughout Chicago.

We are especially pleased to begin this collaboration during our production of Guillem Clua’s SMILEY, a romantic comedy from Barcelona, and as we look ahead to presenting Clua’s THE SWALLOW in our upcoming season.

Through this partnership, Open Space Arts hopes to welcome new audiences, expand conversations across cultures, and continue sharing stories that build understanding, connection, and community.