Jeff Allmen🌈🎨🚴🏼‍♂️🧘🏻‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️♾🤗

The love of my life…Judy!!

Bruce and Judy say good morning!

First vet visit today with Bruce and Judy - vets are expensive!! They come with a $250 discount off their first visit to a VCA vet and after the discount we still owed over $200, and that’s when they are healthy kittens, oh my!! Thanks @treehousehumanesociety for letting us be Bruce and Judy’s forever home, and thank you @vca Cairo animal hospital Highland Park for seeing our babies today!

Community | Passion | Hope | Love | Celebration | Resistance | Hilarious | Tear filled | Inspiring | Charitable | Pure Genius… @see.paz (Christopher Pazdernik) produces the most amazing theater benefit for @aidsfoundationchicago each year @Beltingforlife This year was @dchitto and my second year attending the most fabulous Birthday party for a cause one could ever begin to imagine. I’m sharing a video of our favorite performance of the night @officialmrchavez ((Satya Chávez) who is pure artistic magic). Every performance was a passion-filled love letter to and from community. As long as @see.paz keeps the party going we will always be first in line for this miracle of humanity at its absolute best!! And you should too for next years @beltingforlife event! Happy Birthday @see.paz

Congrats @dchitto The Four Directions Playwright Residency Announces the 2026-2027 Recipient, Dillon Christopher Chitto. I’m in awe, in hope, in gratitude, in love. Dillon and I’s first play together was actually four short plays in one night, the last of which “TVSHKA” written by Dillon shook me to my core, sharp, painful, beautiful and funny. What I would learn was Dillon’s the funniest smartest most selfless person in every room he is in. As I read my way through his plays, I found hope in his ability to take the darkest most inequitable parts of this world and its bloody sad history and make you laugh while inspiring you to do better than those that came before. To be at an opening or reading of one of Dillon’s plays and see young theater makers come up to him and say his work is why they chose theater, gives me more hope knowing the theater has a bright and change inspiring future. It’s all so crazy considering Dillon has already guest lectured at UC Berkeley, NYU, and Northwestern University. We have experienced almost 100 plays together: always learning, always laughing, and always falling more in love. That is my story with Dillon. If you get a chance, you should experience one of his plays, get ready to laugh, cry and step into action. That’s what he does. Inspire.

Dillon and I have seen 91 plays together, several of which he has written or culturally consulted on. The access we have to this powerful, hope-filled, and healing Chicago theater community leaves me in a state of endless gratitude.   Thanks to Chicago Theater Week, we saw 12 shows in the last two weeks. Chicago icons Goodman and Steppenwolf with the best actors, set designers, and costumers in the world, remind us that drama is better off in the home as long as it is somebody else’s. Holiday @goodmantheatre and Dance of Death @steppenwolfthtr give us limitless laughter through whimsical absurdity. @paulmichaelt ‘s provocative, personal, and vulnerable new play, Pot Girls, @thestorytheatre helps us consider identity and theater-making in an intimate and laughter-filled experience. Both @citadeltheatreco Admissions and @timelinetheatre Eureka Day electrify the city with passionate acting while confronting inequity that lives even in the most liberal and well-intended. Can’t wait to see the magic Timeline will continue to create in their new Uptown space - Congrats! Finally, the musicals: Showcasing Chicago’s world class local talent is Dear Evan Hansen @paramountaurora , and The Irish…And How They Got That Way @porchlightmt . @broadwayinchicago continues to bring Touring Broadway productions to Chicago with The Outsiders.   Thank you, Chicago Theater, for letting me in. I am your biggest fan. I am in awe every time I enter your sacred spaces, when the lights go down and the story begins. And thank you, Dillon Christopher Chitto, for making me your plus one for the last 91 plays and counting!! I love you so much!

Happy birthday @helloiamjeff ! Feeling so lucky that you’re in my life. Here’s to the little things we do together. I can’t wait for another year of shows, delicious dinners, quiet nights in, and trips side by side. I can’t wait to experience life with you as it only gets better and stronger and deeper and nеarer and simpler and freer and richer and clеarer. I love you!

Ten plays in twelve days! Chicago Theater Week was a lot but also came at the perfect time. It was a reminder of why I’m a playwright. Because theater is my safe space and where I can find comfort. Jeffrey, you continue to show up for everything: the shows, my work, my grief, my joy, my exhaustion. You make sure I’m safe and supported. And most importantly, you believe in me. I love you and I’m looking forward to the next show. But maybe after a few days of rest. Happy Valentine’s Day 💜

Ok, this was such a hard secret to keep. So excited to finally say I’m going to be a published playwright!! Dillon from years ago would never believe his first play he wrote would ever be published. Feeling beyond grateful. Stay tuned to add a Native comedy to your shelf! 💜

Rest in peace Dad! Thank you for being the role model I needed! Love you always!!

Dillon and I experienced our 71st play together last night, and we loved it!! SUPERIOR DONUTS = A play every one should experience @theartistichome @thedentheatre The acting, direction, lighting, sound, writing, every moment, pure master work, Bravo!!! A community steeped in implicit bias and toxic adversarial dynamics chooses hope over darkness. We might all consider leaning into this kind of love. The hope is real. It’s perfect like a fresh cinnamon donut.

THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT STAND by @marcusgardley just opened @invictustheatrecochicago , this ensemble is a sea of acting genius! These two wonder-filled women in particular @iam_britteds & @shenisedanyel (Britt Edwards as Beartrice Albans & Shenise Brown as Makeda) stole the show. Both a level above genius. Pure magic! We cried, got angry, frustrated, laughed, we felt deeply and cared so much. We were told a story poetically, beautifully, and completely. Thank you @therealaaronreeseboseman for showing us what directing master work looks and feels like. Bravo!! Everyone should do themselves a favor and go experience this transcendent work of art.