Nomad Theatre Company presents Pop-up HERstory production

Written by Jacie Hinton on March 25, 2026

Image courtesy of the Nomad Theatre Company

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – March is Women’s History Month, and the Nomad Theatre Company is honoring that with its Pop-Up HERstory performances.

The HERstory performance consists of local writers and actors telling the story of influential women throughout history.

There are ten different women being portrayed, and each has a 15-minute monologue.

“It’s sort of a choose-your-own-adventure. Each performance happens on a rotating schedule,” said Connie Blick, producer of Pop-Up HERstory and co-founder of the Nomad Theatre Company.

Some of the stories shared include Sally Ride, Mary Shelley and Claudette Colvin.

The production is a collaboration between local writers and actors. This year, the theatre did not pre-select the historical figures. Instead, the women portrayed were chosen based on those who auditioned for the production.

“We really wanted to tailor the women from history around the interests of the actors, and who they identify with and how they identify,” Blick said.

The theatre has staged this production for three years. It began when the Nomad Theatre Company became a nonprofit and sought to reintroduce itself by producing site-specific work, bringing performances out of traditional theatre spaces and into locations tied to the story.

“It was a project with a purpose,” Blick added.

The Nomad Theatre Company is always trying to honor its mission. Keeping their productions free of cost allows the community to see quality performances.

The theatre accepts donations, but this production was supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the McLean County Arts Center.

“It’s the biggest way to stay accessible,” Blick said. “We’re bringing it directly into the community it serves by bringing it into the local libraries. It’s not only a theatrical event, but it’s also educational.”

Productions like these are important not only because they are educational, but they also preserve history.

“It’s important. Women’s history is our history because of the accomplishments and the challenges that these women have faced,” Blick said. “It’s a huge reason why we are here today. To learn about how they persevered, how they faced their challenges, it’s inspiring because there are so many parallels that a lot of these women from history have gone through.”

The production continues through Saturday and Sunday at the Bloomington Public Library.