Step into the world of Snow White with a brand-new tale of kindness and courage

Ghostlight Ensemble brings a new twist to a classic fairy tale with its newest young audiences production opening this weekend, The 8th Dwarf.

Written by Chicago theatre artist Olivia Sieck, The 8th Dwarf takes place in the world of Snow White and tells the story of Binkley, a shy outsider dwarf who dreams of joining the mythical seven. To do so Binkley will need to harness their courage, honesty and kindness to meet the challenges set to them by Snow White.

“I always loved the story of Snow White as a kid, and I wanted to bring my own twist to it,” Sieck said. “I loved that it taught us strength in resilience, empathy and hope; creating joy and connecting with others.

“I wanted to show that being the fairest in the land doesn't mean outer beauty, but inner beauty as well like helping others of those in need,” she added.

The story is told with an ensemble of four actors taking on nearly 30 characters (including Snow White, a witch, cows, a sports announcer and a French-ish chef) in this 50 minute play. The cast is comprised of actors Amanda Elana de la Fuente, Yuni Mora, Sydney Ray and Drake St. Pierre.

“Kids will enjoy the show because of its unique (yet very familiar) characters and the hero’s journey that Binkley takes us on,” said Ray, who is also a Ghostlight Ensemble member. “It’s a silly fun adventure.”

The show is directed by John Gleason Teske.

The 8th Dwarf takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. from Feb. 7-15 at the Bughouse Theater (1910 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613) in NorthCenter. Tickets are available at https://www.ghostlightensemble.com/the-8th-dwarf.

The show is also part of Chicago Theatre Week 2026, which runs from Feb. 5 to Feb. 15 and offers value-priced tickets for 75 shows across the city at $30, $15 or even less. A limited number of Theatre Week tickets for children remain (this Saturday’s Theatre Week tickets are completely sold out) at https://hottix.org/chicago-theatre-week.

Ghostlight Ensemble is a Chicago-based storefront theatre company that asks questions that challenge the status quo through timeless stories, immersive environments and unconventional staging. As part of its season, Ghostlight always presents a young audiences show under its Nightlight banner. The shows include original, adapted and forgotten plays geared toward children and the adults who love them. Learn more about Nightlight, The 8th Dwarf and Ghostlight on its website, www.GhostlightEnsemble.com