How do you keep on roving when you, or someone you love, faces a dust storm that threatens to block out the sun?
In June 2018, Halley visits the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and meets the Opportunity Mars rover. The two have something in common: a curious spirit and a shortened life-expectancy. Halley and the NASA scientist in charge of the Mars mission find themselves transformed by an unlikely friendship—with each other, and with a rolling robot millions of miles away. With poetic language and magical realism, Farewell Opportunity explores the question “How do you keep on roving when you—or someone you love—faces a dust storm that threatens to block out the sun?”
Run Dates: April 25 – May 17, 2026
Performance Times
- Wednesdays at 10AM – perfect for school and community groups!
- Saturdays at 11AM, and 2PM
- Sundays at 2PM, and 6PM
Performance Length: 45-60 minutes with pre and post show activities
Ages: All ages welcome, best enjoyed by ages 5+.
Price Range: $5-$18 (financial access pricing available)
School and community group pricing: $10/person when purchasing ten or more tickets or $200/classroom whichever is less expensive for your group.
Content warning: this play explores themes of childhood illness, mortality, disability, and complicated sibling relationships. If you have questions about whether or not this play is a good fit for you and your family, reach out to us at boxoffice@filamenttheatre.org
FAREWELL OPPORTUNITY is a new play written by Chicago playwright Georgette Kelly. It was commissioned by Filament Theatre in 2019 and was previously a finalist for the John F. Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices workshop and festival supporting new work for young audiences in 2020. Now, 6 years later, it will finally receive its world premiere at Filament Theatre.
Farewell Opportunity tells the story of Halley, who visits the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and meets the Opportunity Mars rover. The two have something in common: a curious spirit and a shortened life expectancy. Halley and the NASA scientist in charge of the Mars mission find themselves transformed by an unlikely friendship—with each other, and with a rolling robot millions of miles away.
With poetic language and magical realism, Farewell Opportunity explores the question “How do you keep on roving when you—or someone you love—faces a dust storm that threatens to block out the sun?” This play explore themes of mortality, impermanence, and connection. The story asks young audiences to consider how to move forward when faced with uncertainty and loss.
“This production is about creating space (in outer space) to talk about mortality and completion with younger audiences. From my first reading of Farewell Opportunity, I was struck by its honesty, poetry, and joy. My favorite niche in theatre making is tackling tough topics through joyful language, which this play truly exemplifies!” – Director Raquel Torre
Every performance of FAREWELL OPPORTUNITY is designed to be a welcoming experience for audience members of all ability levels. With a scenic design inspired by sensory rooms, it is our goal that all audience members feel welcome, comfortable, and supported. Disability, chronic or terminal illness, and shortened life expectancy, are central theme to this production and as such we’re excited to be able to offer the following dedicated performances:
Sunday May 10 at 6 pm: Masks Required PerformanceSaturday May 16 at 2pm: Sensory Friendly Performance
To learn more about our sensory friendly programming, visit filamenttheatre.org/sensoryfriendly or email caroline@filamenttheatre.org with questions!
Please let us know of any access needs when checking out online and we will do our best to accommodate.
For press and media inquiries please reach out to Nicole Rizzo at The Silverman Group at Nicole@silvermangroupchicago.com
