Jackalope Theatre, a company founded and led by alumni of the Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department, launches its eighth season with The Raid, a new drama about abolitionist John Brown’s plans to free and arm black slaves across the American South prior to the Civil War.

The Raid, a world premiere, is written by Idris Goodwin (BA ’00), a graduate of Columbia College’s film program with a concentration in screenwriting. It is directed by Jackalope‘s associate artistic director and co-founder Kaiser Ahmed (BA ’08), a graduate of the Columbia College Theatre Department’s directing program.

The show’s ensemble includes Jackalope company member Alex Hand (BA ’12), a graduate of Columbia College’s film program with a minor in acting.

The production team includes assistant director Mara Stern (BA ’11), a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Acting; lighting designer Claire Sangster (BA ’12), a graduate of the Theatre Department’s BA Program in Theatre Design; dramaturg Cody Spellman (BA ’13), a graduate of the theatre directing program; historian Jon Cohen (BA ’08), a graduate of the Theatre Department’s acting program; and fight choreographer David Woolley, a Theatre Department faculty member and coordinator of the stage combat program. Jackalope’s interim artistic director Gus Menary and community engagement director Andrew Burden Swanson are also former students at the Columbia College Theatre Department.

The Raid investigates the line between civil disobedience and civic duty, ultimately asking whether or not there’s such a thing as justifiable violence. The show previews November 4-8 and opens November 10, running through December 12 at Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N. Broadway, in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. Tickets range from only $5 for previews to $20 during the regular run. For tickets, click here.