In the realm of showbiz clichés, Chicago seems to have accumulated an outsized share of received notions: Why, it’s that storefront theatre town rife with muscular kitchen-sink realism and fearless improv, with a chip on its broad shoulder about the presumptive stage primacy of New York and a strain of hometown pride unique among American theatre cities. There are kernels of truth at the bottom of these tropes, but they’re in dire need of an update: Yes, Chicago theatre has indisputably been defined by an ensemble ethic, and yes, it does inspire fierce internal loyalty (and a commensurate degree of territorial in-fighting). But many of its stage artists and audiences long ago moved beyond the purported macho naturalism and insularity of its founding mythology—even at the theatres, like Steppenwolf, that helped create it. This special issue will take a fresh look at what has made Chicago Chicago, and why in 2019 it arguably remains the most vibrant theatre city in the U.S.