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Theater in Chicago

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For the theater building at 175 North State Street built in 1921, seeChicago Theatre.

TheChicago Theatre
TheAuditorium Theatre

Theater in Chicagodescribes not onlytheaterperformed inChicago,Illinois,but also to the movement in Chicago that saw a number of small, meagerly funded companies grow to institutions of national and international significance. Chicago had long been a popular destination for touring productions, as well as original productions that transfer toBroadwayand other cities. According toVarietyeditor Gordon Cox, beside New York City, Chicago has one of the most lively theater scenes in the United States.[1]As many as 100 shows could be seen any given night from 200 companies as of 2018, some with national reputations and many in creative "storefront" theaters, demonstrating a vibrant theater scene "from the ground up".[2]According toAmerican Theatremagazine, Chicago's theater is "justly legendary".[3]

History

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Illinois Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, c.1909

The young settlement of Chicago in 1834 saw its first commercial production by afire eaterandventriloquist,Mr. Brown. In 1837, the first resident theater company, the short-lived Chicago Theater, opened in theSauganash Hotel.One of the players was then a boy namedJoseph Jefferson,who grew to become a very successful comedic actor. Chicago's main theater prize, theJoseph Jefferson award,is named after this pioneer. New theaters, including Rice's Theater, owned by an empresario and future mayor, andMcVicker's Theaterbegan booking nationally prominent acts beginning in the late 1840s. After the devastation of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, Scottish-American producer David Henderson gave Chicago a national theater reputation at his Opera House and other theaters. Lively foreign-language theaters patronised by new immigrants also sprang up.[4]

Hull House,the social settlement house of Chicago, had from the 1890s a theatre program underLaura Dainty Pelhamwhich performed the Chicago premiers of numerous of the new plays ofGalsworthy,Ibsen,andGeorge Bernard Shaw.In 1912Maurice Brownefounded theLittle Theater in Chicago,crediting Pelham's Hull House influence.[5]This, along with the founding of theToy Theatrein Boston the same year, is credited with starting the AmericanLittle Theatre Movement.[6]A postwar stage renaissance emerged via the Hull House through efforts byViola SpolinandRobert Sickinger.[7]From this an indigenous Chicago style of ensemble theater arose, with examples includingThe Second City,Steppenwolf Theatre Company,St. Nicholas Theatre Company(founded by playwrightDavid Mametand actorWilliam H. Macy)[8]and TheGoodman Theatre.[9][10]

The Second City, founded in 1959 byPaul SillsandBernie Sahlins,is the country's premiere improvisational theater, and its method of developing material has strongly influenced such playwrights asDavid Mamet(who was a dishwasher there),Jules Feiffer,Lanford Wilson,Jeffrey Sweet,James Sherman,David Auburn,Mark Hollmann,Greg KotisandAlan Gross.In 1968Paul Sillsleft Second City to openThe Body Politic Theaterwhere he createdStory Theater.The Kingston Mines Theater,where the musical "Grease"premiered, began shortly afterwards, the two theaters across the street from each other on Lincoln Avenue. In 1970 Sills invitedStuart Gordonand hisOrganic Theater Companyto move to Chicago and begin what he termed "a scene." The success of these three theaters inspired the creation of other small troupes that grew, notably theSteppenwolf Theatreand theVictory Gardens Theater,both of which, along with theGoodman Theatre,Chicago Shakespeare Theatre,Court Theatre (Chicago)andLookingglass Theatre Company,were honored withregional theaterTony Awards, the only city in the country to have six theaters so honored.[11][12]

TheGoodman Theatrehad existed for a number of years with a reputation as a home for revivals, but the arrival of artistic directorWilliam Woodmanand his assistantGregory Mosherchanged its profile. When Mosher took over as artistic director he enhanced the Goodman's reputation largely due to the work ofDavid Mametwhose play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" had been Mamet's first success at the Organic Theater Company in 1974. Mosher later produced and directedAmerican BuffaloandGlengarry Glen Rossat the Goodman. The Goodman Theatre also was whereHurlyburlybyDavid Rabepremiered under the direction of Chicago improvisational theater alumMike Nichols.[citation needed]

After Mosher moved to New York, the artistic directorship went toRobert Falls,former director of theWisdom Bridge Theatre.Falls is particularly known for his ongoing collaboration with actorBrian Dennehy,including productions ofDeath of a SalesmanandLong Day's Journey Into Nightthat went to Broadway and won Tony Awards for both of them.

Briefly, The Goodman Theatre is known as the house of directors;Steppenwolf Theatreis known as the house of actors,Victory Gardens Theateras the house of writers; The Second City as the house of improvisation, andOrganic Theater Companyand laterLookingglass Theatre Companyas the home of original image-based productions. Several leading directors associated with these troupes --Dennis Zacek,Mary ZimmermanandFrank Galati—are alumni ofNorthwestern UniversityinEvanston, Illinois,just north of Chicago. In addition, writers such asRichard Christiansenof theChicago Daily Newsand later theChicago Tribune,Newcity's senior editorNate Leeand Hedy Weiss of theChicago Sun-Timeshelped encourage Chicagoans to come out and appreciate live theater.[13][14]

Since 1990,Performinkhas 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.

TheDrury Lane Theatreswere a group of six theaters in the Chicago suburbs founded byTony DeSantis.He began producing plays in 1949 in a tent adjacent to hisMartinique Restaurantto attract customers, then built his first theater in 1958.[15]

Today

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Chicago is home to more than 200 small theatre companies such asA Red Orchid Theatre,Lifeline Theatre,Remy Bumppo Theatre Company,Redtwist Theater,Trap Door Theatre,The ConspiratorsandTUTA Theatre.Some have their own performance venues, while many perform in untraditional theatre spaces such as storefronts or bars, or any number of studio orblack box theatresaround Chicago.[2]

Many of Chicago's larger theaters both profit and non-profit originate or tryout shows forBroadway.[16]Touring productions also visit the city regularly, mainly playing at the big theaters in theChicago Theatre Districtin theLoop.

Following in the tradition of The Second City and Steppenwolf, many of these companies, includingAmerican Blues Theater,Stage Left Theatre,TheFactory Theater,Organic Theater Company,Strawdog Theatre CompanyandLifeline 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 newplaysand 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 atVictory Gardens Theater,has an ongoing program of developing new writers, most notablyRebecca Gilman.[17]

TheVictory Gardens Theaterplays 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 includeJames Sherman'sBeau Jest,Jeffrey Sweet'sThe Action Against Sol Schumann,Kristine Thatcher'sVoice of Good Hope,Charles Smith'sJelly Belly,Steve Carter'sPecong,Claudia Allen'sDeed of Trust,andDouglas Post'sEarth and Sky.

Stage Left Theatre's Downstage Left program has cultivated nationally known playwrightsMia McCullough,David Rush, Margaret Lewis and David Alan Moore.

Theatre Building Chicagoformerly had an ongoing program for the development of newmusicalsuntil 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 asLe Corone Rosse.

Polish languageproductions forChicago's large Polish speaking populationcan be seen at the historicGateway TheatreinJefferson Park.

Oracle Theatreoffers 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 asActors' Equity,commonly known simply as "Equity," and theStage Directors and Choreographers Societybargain 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 inthe Loop.

BothActor's Equityand non-Equity productions in the Chicago area receive honors from theJoseph Jefferson (Jeff) Awards,awarded by a panel of volunteer judges.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Cox, Gordon."'Hamilton' to Play Chicago in Long-Term Run Starting in 2016 ".Variety.RetrievedJune 14,2016.
  2. ^abGreen, Jesse (October 8, 2018)."How Chicago Is Changing Theater, One Storefront at a Time".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJune 10,2019.
  3. ^Weinert-Kendt, Rob (October 22, 2019)."A Windy City Mirror".American Theatre.RetrievedNovember 12,2019.
  4. ^Adler, Tony (2005)."Theater".The Encyclopedia of Chicago(online ed.). Chicago:Chicago Historical SocietyandNewberry Library.RetrievedJune 12,2024.
  5. ^Peggy Glowacki and Julia Hendry,Images of America: Hull House,Arcadia Publishing, Chicago, Illinois, 2004 p. 34,ISBN0-7385-3351-3
  6. ^Marcia Noe, "The Women of Provincetown, 1915-1922/Composing Ourselves: The Little Theatre Movement and the American Audience" (review)American Drama,Winter 2005
  7. ^Gray, Stephen C. (1997).A History of the Chicago Off-Loop Theatre Explosion: 1969 to 1989.The Ohio State University (M.A. dissertation).RetrievedMay 31,2023.
  8. ^Kerner, Mary (August 21, 1977)."St. Nicholas: Where Playwrights Come of Age".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
  9. ^"Theater".www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
  10. ^"Our History".Goodman Theatre.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
  11. ^"Chicago's Award-Winning Theatre Companies".Choose Chicago.June 15, 2022.RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
  12. ^"2001 Tony Honoree for Regional Theatre, Chicago's Victory Gardens, Grows New Works".RetrievedAugust 7,2023.
  13. ^Hieggelke, Brian (June 5, 2009)."Back through the Lookingglass".Newcity Stage.RetrievedOctober 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.)
  14. ^Lee, Nate (November 12, 2009)."Romper Room: Back flips, harem girls and the secret of life from the Lookingglass Theatre Company".Newcity Stage.RetrievedOctober 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."
  15. ^"Anthony De Santis, 93, Theater Owner, Dies".The New York Times.June 9, 2007.
  16. ^Paulson, Michael (January 12, 2016)."Before Broadway, Musicals Make a Detour to Test the Waters in Chicago".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 31,2020.
  17. ^Centerstage Media, LLC."Who's Who Chicago".Centerstagechicago.com.RetrievedMay 30,2011.
  18. ^Walsh, Katy (April 27, 2011)."Review" WOYZECK ": Bi-Level Imagery Amazingly Gripping".chicagonow.com.RetrievedMay 3,2011.
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