From Steppenwolf to Second City: Why The Windy City Is The Perfect Launchpad for Creatives
variety.comPaul Plunkett The oversized contribution Chicago has made and continues to make to the American entertainment landscape comes in no small part from its vibrant and varied theater scene.
With well over 200 theaters, from small stages featuring intimate fare to larger houses sending major productions to Broadway and beyond, it’s difficult to find any American film or television series that doesn’t have roots that trace back to Windy City stages.
The Steppenwolf Theater Company is one where heavy-hitters John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf and Gary Sinise forged their craft early in their storied careers.
Playwright and actor Tracy Letts premiered his Pulitzer Prize-winning “August: Osage County” at Steppenwolf in 2007. “It’s a lot easier to produce good theater in Chicago than in many other places,” Malkovich told Roger Ebert back in 1984 and that still applies today. “You can always get a few people together and put on a play.” Chicago has the distinction of receiving the most Regional Tony Awards of any city, for major theaters including Steppenwolf, the Goodman, Victory Gardens, Chicago Shakespeare and Lookingglass.Adding to Chicago’s theatrical contribution to the zeitgeist is the immeasurable impact of the Second City.
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