Aiming to export the best of Chicago theatre to the rest of the region and beyond, the tour will begin in fall 2014 and include the productions There Is A Happiness That Morning Is by Mickle Maher (originally produced by Theater Oobleck), A Steady Rain by Keith Huff (originally produced by Chicago Dramatists), Unveiled by Rohina Malik, Honeybuns by Dean Evans and Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology by Anthony Moseley (both originally produced by Collaboraction).

"The Collective carefully selected these shows because they exemplify the spirit, ingenuity, and authenticity that define the theatrical landscape of the Windy City," Chicago Commercial Collective founder and producer Aurélia Cohen said in a statement. "By pairing each production with talkbacks, workshops and other educational opportunities, The Off-Loop Tour is a wonderful chance for artists, students, teachers and community members at colleges and universities across the Midwest to engage with some of the best that Chicago has to offer."

The tour lineup follows:

There Is A Happiness That Morning Is
By Mickle Maher
Originally produced by Theater Oobleck
Tour Dates: Sept. 28-Dec. 21, 2014

"Playwright Mickle Maher debuts this comedy in rhymed verse told via two lectures on the poetry of William Blake: one given in the morning by Bernard, a middle-aged, barely published poet of scant scholarship, on the Songs of Innocence, and the other in the afternoon by his lover, Ellen, a reputable Ph.D., on the Songs of Experience. Having engaged the evening before in a highly inappropriate display of public affection on the main lawn of their rural New England campus, the two undergraduate lecturers must now, in class, either apologize for their behavior or effectively justify it if they want to keep their jobs. Featuring Diana Slickman, Colm O’Reilly, and Kirk Anderson." A Steady Rain
By Keith Huff
Originally produced by Chicago Dramatists
Tour Dates: Oct. 12–Jan. 11, 2015

"A Steady Rain is the story of two seasoned police officers, Denny (Randy Steinmeyer) and Joey (Peter DeFaria) who find themselves caught up in a conflict between family and duty when a seemingly routine domestic disturbance call results in the death of a boy. When the horrific truth of the situation is made public, one of the two must take the blame for the fatal mistake. Their life-long friendship is put to the test, as both men struggle with issues of honor, love and loyalty in the face of adversity."

Unveiled
By Rohina Malik
Tour Dates: Oct. 19–Jan. 25

"Racism. Hate crimes. Love. Islam. Culture. Language. Life. In Unveiled, five Muslim women in a post-9/11 world serve tea and uncover what lies beneath the veil.

"This compelling one-woman show, written and performed by Rohina Malik, had its World Premiere in May 2009 at the 16th Street Theater, directed by Ann Filmer, where it received critical acclaim, and the entire run and extension was sold out. Unveiled received a second production at the Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater in April 2010, a third production at Next Theater in Evanston, in September 2010 and its fourth production at Brava Theater, San Francisco in September 2011. Rohina is regularly invited to perform Unveiled at universities, churches, mosques, synagogues and theaters, including most recently at Baltimore Theatre Project."

Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology
By Anthony Moseley
Originally produced by Collaboraction
Tour Dates: Aug. 31–Nov. 30

"Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology is a timely new theatrical reaction to Chicago’s history of violent crime and a call to discover what it might take to create lasting change in our city. The show, a Collaboraction world premiere conceived and directed by Anthony Moseley, couples nonfiction source material such as interviews, articles, and online comments with three true Chicago crimes to raise critical questions surrounding segregation, poverty, the news media, popular culture, and our numbness to it all."

Honeybuns
By Dean Evans
Originally produced by Collaboraction
Tour Dates: Sept. 14–Dec. 14

"Honeybuns, billed as 'The World's Greatest Mime,' is a visceral and hilarious theatrical event. To share the room with the gigantic creature known simply as Honeybuns is to experience a highly physical, interactive piece of performance art that has impressions of mime, improv, and electro shock treatment. Honeybuns has performed at IO Chicago, Theater On The Lake, The Wild Party Variety Hour, Salanathon, the CFANN, The Chi-Town Clown Revue, Collaboraction and many other venues." 

For more information, call (312) 724-7604 or visit chicagocommercialcollective.com.