Goodman Theatre facts for kids
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The Goodman Theatre
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| Location | 170 North Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60601 |
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| Coordinates | 41°53′05″N 87°37′48″W / 41.8848°N 87.6299°W |
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company in Chicago. You can find it in the city's downtown area, known as the Loop. It's a very important part of the Chicago theatre world. In fact, it's the oldest active non-profit theater group in the city! Part of its current building is even in the historic Harris and Selwyn Theaters property.
Contents
The Goodman Theatre's Story
The Goodman Theatre started in 1925. It was created to honor a Chicago playwright named Kenneth Sawyer Goodman. He passed away in 1918 during the Great Influenza Pandemic.
How the Theatre Began
Kenneth's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William O. Goodman, gave $250,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago. This money helped create a professional repertory company. It also started a school for drama at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The first theater building was designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw. It was located where the museum's Modern Wing is now. However, the design had some problems. The sound wasn't great, and there wasn't much room for sets and special effects.
First Performances and Growth
The Goodman Theatre opened on October 20, 1925. They performed three plays by Kenneth Sawyer Goodman. These were Back of the Yards, The Green Scarf, and The Game of Chess. Two nights later, they showed their first public play, The Forest by John Galsworthy.
For many years, the company mainly put on plays with students. Professional actors joined them too. In 1969, under artistic director John Reich, it became a fully professional company. The drama school later became part of DePaul University in 1978.
Moving to a New Home
In 2000, the Goodman Theatre moved to its new building. It's located at 170 North Dearborn in Chicago's theater district. This large building is about 171,000 square feet. It was designed by KPMB Architects and DLK Architecture Inc.
The new building has two modern performance halls. They are named the Albert and the Owen. These names honor two members of the Goodman family who still support the theater. In August 2000, Michael Maggio, an artistic director, passed away. The theater created an award in his honor. It's called the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award.
Awards and Recognition
In 1992, the Goodman Theatre won a special award. It received the Regional Theatre Tony Award. This made it one of two Chicago theaters to win this honor, along with Steppenwolf Theatre.
Chicago is a very recognized city for live theater. Four other Chicago-based companies have also won this award. These include Victory Gardens Theater (2001), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (2008), Lookingglass Theatre Company (2011), and Court Theatre (Chicago) (2022). The Goodman Theatre has also won many Joseph Jefferson awards.
Amazing Productions
The Goodman Theatre has staged many famous plays. In 2007, they performed Radio Golf. This made them the first theater to put on all ten plays in August Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle.
Every December since the 1970s, the theater has presented A Christmas Carol. This is a popular holiday tradition.
Other plays the Goodman has shown include:
- Hay Fever
- Lady Windermere's Fan
- The Little Foxes
- You Can't Take it with You
- Born Yesterday
- Pal Joey
- To Be Young, Gifted and Black (play)
- Guys and Dolls
- Talley's Folly
- A House Not Meant to Stand
- A Soldier's Play
- Fences
- Sunday in the Park with George
- The Visit
- Dancing at Lughnasa
- Arcadia
- Floyd Collins
- Hollywood Arms
- Dinner with Friends
- The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?
- The Light in the Piazza
- I Am My Own Wife
- Rabbit Hole
Community and Education Programs
The Goodman Theatre does more than just put on plays. It also has many different education programs. They work with community groups, schools, and even juvenile detention programs.
Programs During the School Year
During the school year, the Goodman hosts two main programs:
- Cyndie Bandle Young Critics (CBYC): This program helps young people improve their writing skills. They write reviews and analytical pieces about the plays at the Goodman. Participants can write reviews for their local and school papers.
- Goodman Youth Arts Council (GYAC): Members of GYAC volunteer in workshops. They help young children and people in nursing homes. They also organize clothing and food drives. Sometimes, they even march with public school teachers during strikes.
Summer Programs for Teens
Summer programs at the Goodman focus on young people aged 14 to 24.
- Playbuild: This is a seven-week workshop. About eighty teens from Chicago work together. They use different theater exercises to express themselves creatively.
- Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI): This program runs at the same time as Playbuild. It's a more traditional theater education program. Teens audition with a monologue and a song. They learn to be more confident in their musical theater performances.
See also
- Goodman School of Drama
