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 famous professional theater company in downtown Chicago. It is a big part of the city's arts scene and is the oldest nonprofit theater in Chicago that is still running today. The theater is located in a building that includes the historic Harris and Selwyn Theaters.
Contents
The Story of the Goodman Theatre
A Memorial Beginning
The Goodman Theatre was started in 1925. It was created to honor a Chicago playwright (a person who writes plays) named Kenneth Sawyer Goodman. He sadly died during the Great Influenza Pandemic in 1918.
Kenneth's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William O. Goodman, wanted to create something special to remember their son. They gave $250,000 to the Art Institute of Chicago. This money was used to start a professional theater company and a school for acting and drama.
The first theater building was designed by an architect named Howard Van Doren Shaw. However, the building's location caused some problems. It had poor acoustics (how well sound travels) and not enough room for big sets.
The grand opening was on October 20, 1925. They performed three of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman's own plays. A couple of nights later, the theater opened to the public with the play The Forest.
Becoming a Professional Theater
For many years, the Goodman was both a school and a theater. In 1969, it became a fully professional company. This meant all the actors and people working there were paid professionals.
In 1978, the drama school officially became part of DePaul University.
A New Home
In 2000, the Goodman Theatre moved into a brand-new building on North Dearborn Street. This new home is a huge, modern space with two main stages: the Albert and the Owen. These stages were named after members of the Goodman family who still support the theater.
Awards and Recognition
The Goodman Theatre is highly respected in the world of theater. In 1992, it won a special Regional Theatre Tony Award. The Tony Awards are like the Oscars for live theater!
The Goodman is one of several Chicago theaters to win this award. This shows that Chicago is one of the best cities in the United States for watching amazing plays. The theater has also won many local awards, called the Joseph Jefferson awards.
What Kind of Shows Can You See?
The Goodman Theatre is known for putting on a wide variety of shows. They perform classic plays, new works by modern writers, and exciting musicals. Some of their recent productions have included:
- Joe Turner's Come and Gone, a famous play by August Wilson.
- The Matchbox Magic Flute, a new version of a classic opera.
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a musical based on a popular book.
- Lucha Teotl, an exciting show that combined Mexican wrestling with ancient stories.
The theater is dedicated to showing plays that tell diverse stories and feature talented actors and directors from many different backgrounds.
See also
- Goodman School of Drama
