Winds of Change in the Windy City
AT’s new Chicago editors check in on happenings at theatres large and small: openings, closings, notable folks, and assorted chisme.
All Stories About Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Barbara Gaines: Finding Her Own Dream Time
After 37 years at the helm of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Gaines has found the right time to step away from the company she founded.
Go-To Character Actor John Beasley Lived His Purpose
A latecomer to acting, he had a rich, varied, decades-long career onstage and on screen, not only as a performer but as a mentor, teacher, and leader.
Criss Henderson to Step Down as Chicago Shakespeare’s Executive Director
After 33 years working alongside founding A.D. Barbara Gaines, Henderson will step down to pursue new creative endeavors.
John Beasley Is Ready for the Role of a Lifetime
Broadway-bound for the first time at 79, working actor Beasley feels that his role in ‘The Notebook’ came along at just the right time.
Gimme Some Truth, or Make ’Em Laugh?
From goofy musicals to meaty and instructive dramas, 4 shows stand in for the disparate ambitions and uses of theatre.
Barbara Gaines Bids Farewell to Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The theatre’s founder and artistic director will step down in 2023 after an acclaimed 36-year run.
Richard Christiansen: A Critic Who Made a Difference
As the Chicago Tribune’s lead theatre critic from 1978 to 2002, he helped build the city’s unique theatre scene, both by covering it and by getting to know its major players.
Chicago Shakespeare Announces 2020-21 Season
The season will feature a mix of virtual and in-person offerings, including solo shows and streams from the Bristol Old Vic.
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Theatre architects look ahead to designs for a post-pandemic world.
