Theater in Chicago
Theater in Chicago describes not only
History
The young settlement of Chicago in 1834 saw its first commercial production by a
The Second City, founded in 1959 by
The Goodman Theatre had existed for a number of years with a reputation as a home for revivals, but the arrival of artistic director William Woodman and his assistant Gregory Mosher changed its profile. When Mosher took over as artistic director he enhanced the Goodman's reputation largely due to the work of David Mamet whose play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" had been Mamet's first success at the Organic Theater Company in 1974. Mosher later produced and directed American Buffalo and Glengarry Glen Ross at the Goodman. The Goodman Theatre also was where Hurlyburly by David Rabe premiered under the direction of Chicago improvisational theater alum Mike Nichols.[citation needed]
After Mosher moved to New York, the artistic directorship went to
Briefly, The Goodman Theatre is known as the house of directors;
Since 1990, Performink has been an industry newspaper for Chicago theater, including show openings and reviews, audition listings, and industry and union news for Chicago actors, directors, dancers, designers, and other theater professionals.
The Drury Lane Theatres were a group of six theaters in the Chicago suburbs founded by Tony DeSantis. He began producing plays in 1949 in a tent adjacent to his Martinique Restaurant to attract customers, then built his first theater in 1958.[15]
Today
Chicago is home to more than 200 small theatre companies such as
Many of Chicago's larger theaters both profit and non-profit originate or tryout shows for
Following in the tradition of The Second City and Steppenwolf, many of these companies, including American Blues Theater, Stage Left Theatre, The Factory Theater, Organic Theater Company, Strawdog Theatre Company and Lifeline Theatre, are ensemble-based. An ensemble-based company is formed of a group of artists (actors, directors, designers, playwrights, etc.) who work collaboratively to create each production.
Chicago theater has a long record of introducing new plays and playwrights. Many of the theaters in Chicago have new play workshop programs to cultivate work from current playwrights. Chicago Dramatists, which was begun by a group of ex-students of a playwriting workshop at Victory Gardens Theater, has an ongoing program of developing new writers, most notably Rebecca Gilman.[17]
The Victory Gardens Theater plays host to a dozen resident playwrights and most of the productions there are premieres of their plays, a number of which have gone on to productions elsewhere. Some of these include James Sherman's Beau Jest, Jeffrey Sweet's The Action Against Sol Schumann, Kristine Thatcher's Voice of Good Hope, Charles Smith's Jelly Belly, Steve Carter's Pecong, Claudia Allen's Deed of Trust, and Douglas Post's Earth and Sky.
Stage Left Theatre's Downstage Left program has cultivated nationally known playwrights Mia McCullough, David Rush, Margaret Lewis and David Alan Moore.
Theatre Building Chicago formerly had an ongoing program for the development of new musicals until being taken over by Stage 773 in 2010.
Chicago dell'Arte is local company currently creating and producing new works of Commedia dell'arte. The company also sponsors and in-house troupe known as Le Corone Rosse.
Oracle Theatre offers public access theater in Chicago sustained by the donations, where the seats are free and open to anyone.[18]
Chicago is home to both non-union and union theater companies. Union shows adhere to strict contracts for all artists involved. Artistic trade unions such as Actors' Equity, commonly known simply as "Equity," and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society bargain for contracts guaranteeing minimum wages and other rights involved with the rehearsal and production process. Shows may run for a varying number of weeks, depending on ticket sales. Musicals tend to have longer runs than do stage plays. The majority of theaters in Chicago are located on the city's North Side and in the Loop.
Both
See also
References
- ^ Cox, Gordon. "'Hamilton' to Play Chicago in Long-Term Run Starting in 2016". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ Weinert-Kendt, Rob (October 22, 2019). "A Windy City Mirror". Retrieved November 12, 2019.
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(help) - Chicago Historical Society and Newberry Library.)
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- ISBN 0-7385-3351-3
- ^ Marcia Noe, "The Women of Provincetown, 1915-1922/Composing Ourselves: The Little Theatre Movement and the American Audience" (review) American Drama, Winter 2005
- ^ Gray, Stephen C. (1997). A History of the Chicago Off-Loop Theatre Explosion: 1969 to 1989. The Ohio State University (M.A. dissertation). Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Theater". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Our History". Goodman Theatre. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "Chicago's Award-Winning Theatre Companies". Choose Chicago. June 15, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ "2001 Tony Honoree for Regional Theatre, Chicago's Victory Gardens, Grows New Works". Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ Hieggelke, Brian (June 5, 2009). "Back through the Lookingglass". Newcity Stage. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
... Newcity's first senior editor Nate Lee penned a cover story that November, as the production moved from the confines of Chicago Filmmakers to the larger space inhabited by Remains Theatre. In the process of reporting, he insisted I see it and took me along. It was unforgettable, and probably had much to do with our growing and sustained commitment to theater coverage. (Though in fairness, Nate's passion for Chicago theater, or theatre, as he insisted, from our very first issues set the pace from day one.)
- ^ Lee, Nate (November 12, 2009). "Romper Room: Back flips, harem girls and the secret of life from the Lookingglass Theatre Company". Newcity Stage. Retrieved October 31, 2010.
The critics agree, as they say. If I were to add my own voice to the shouts of praises for Lookingglass Theatre and their current hit play, "Arabian Nights," I believe I'd use ancient words like "kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria."
- ^ "Anthony De Santis, 93, Theater Owner, Dies". The New York Times. June 9, 2007.
- ^ Paulson, Michael (January 12, 2016). "Before Broadway, Musicals Make a Detour to Test the Waters in Chicago". The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ Centerstage Media, LLC. "Who's Who Chicago". Centerstagechicago.com. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ Walsh, Katy (April 27, 2011). "Review "WOYZECK": Bi-Level Imagery Amazingly Gripping". chicagonow.com. Retrieved May 3, 2011.