A theater of our own : a history and a memoir of 1,001 nights in Chicago

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Title:

A theater of our own : a history and a memoir of 1,001 nights in Chicago

Author:

Christiansen, Richard.

ISBN:

9780810120419

Personal Author:

Christiansen, Richard.

Publication Information:

Evanston, Ill. : Northwestern University Press, c2004.

Physical Description:

xvii, 317 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.

Contents:

A thrilling little place -- Something attractive at the McVicker's -- The city assumed a metropolitan air -- Two barrels of slippers -- A glimpse of that order and beauty -- By all means start your own theatre -- We were a landlocked town -- There actually was a national theater -- Chicago is hard up for writers -- It's a comedy school -- It was an honor to work there -- We improvised -- Let all the flowers of the arts bloom -- We'll have a scene -- It's good writing -- It was the arrogance of youth -- The field is littered with bodies -- We needed to tribe up -- The Vast Chicago Theater Market -- it all came together with Salesman -- The new theater capital of the United States -- They've become institutions.

Subject Term:

Theater -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 19th century.

Theater -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- 20th century.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Book	PN2277 .C4 C57 2004	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Winner of the Illinois State Historical Society Book Award for Superior Achievement

A Theater of Our Own is a fascinating, fast-paced, and fact-filled chronicle of Chicago's legendary theater scene by the long-time chief critic for the Chicago Tribune. Who produced the first stage adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" in 1902-nearly forty years before the movie classic? What entertainment juggernaut began in a converted Chinese laundry on Wells Street in 1959? Where did Louis (Studs) Terkel make his stage debut? When did the original production of "Grease" open at Kingston Mines Theater? Richard Christiansen, former chief critic for the Chicago Tribune, answers these and many more questions about the rich role of the theater in Chicago, from its earliest days in 1837 to its present state as a diverse community of artists with international stature.

In A Theater of Our Own , he draws upon his exclusive interviews, insights, and memories gathered over a period of more than forty years of reviewing the arts. This history and memoir traces the evolution of the Chicago theater scene from small theaters to major institutions such as the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Goodman Theater, and The Second City. Along the way, Richard Christiansen relates his behind-the-scenes conversations with some of Chicago's most acclaimed writers, directors, and actors--David Mamet, Frank Galati, Mary Zimmerman, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Harold Ramis, Gary Sinise, and Joe Mantegna--all a part of Chicago's theater renaissance from the 1970s onward. To this day, Chicago remains a city known for its imaginative, innovative, and influential theaters and artists. A Theater of Our Own , a valuable contribution to the history of theater, is a book written for anyone who enjoys the theater and its people as well as the story of Chicago.

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

In the past 40 years, Chicago has grown from a place ragtag touring companies passed through on their way to downstate Illinois into what British critic Michael Billington calls one of the most important theater towns in North America. Many of the top actors and directors working today, including talents as diverse as John Malkovich, Bill Murray, and Tina Fey, cut their teeth there. Chicago-based arts journalist Christiansen watched it all happen, as a reporter for first the Chicago Daily News and then the Chicago Tribune. Now retired, he is ideally suited to chronicle the Chicago theater movement. Written in the sometimes dry but fact-packed style of well-edited Sunday features, his book begins with the earliest theatrical enterprises in pre-fire Chicago and touches every major theater event, including the Iroquois Theatre fire and the Depression-era WPA, that preceded the great flowering of theaters in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a blooming that, as Christiansen notes, continues to this day. Christiansen's effort will be an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to find out about the theaters and the companies that put Chicago on the theatrical map and keep it there. --Jack Helbig Copyright 2004 Booklist

Library Journal Review

In this carefully plotted survey, Christiansen, one-time arts critic for both the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Tribune, travels back in time to the beginnings of the Windy City (1837) and its early theaters, playhouses, and actors; once we reach the 1960s, the chronicle turns into a firsthand account of the author's time on the aisle. There are interesting short pieces on individual actors, plays, and theaters, e.g., "What They Did for Pay" lists the day jobs of Chicago theater professionals in their early years (imagine John Malkovich as a bookstore clerk). The origins of landmark plays from Grease to The Grapes of Wrath are also described, as are the stories of the Second City, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and the Goodman Theatre. Interviews and conversations with the likes of David Mamet, Mary Zimmerman, Gary Sinise, Frank Galati, and Laurie Metcalf offer a backstage look at the Chicago theater scene. Including photos of players, plays, and playbills, this well-wrought production is recommended for all theater and performing arts collections.-Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.