Chicago Dramatists' mission applies to playwrights wherever they are on their writing paths, but we are especially proud of our success in nurturing and helping to develop compelling, challenging, diverse plays that move on to garner productions, earn awards, and define the American theatre.
Every year, plays that we helped to develop earn hundreds of professional accomplishments such as productions, awards, commissions, readings, and other honors at large and small theatres in Chicago and around the world. We are proud because we have helped to enrich the lives of thousands of theatre patrons, export Chicago voices across the globe, and significantly boost our own reputation (give us that much, won't you?) as one of the nation's foremost new play development theatres.
HONORS
Our playwrights were honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship, a MacArthur Genius Grant, the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, the Osborn Award, an Olivier Award nomination, and numerous Joseph Jefferson Awards for New Work and Illinois Arts Council Playwriting Fellowships, to mention only a few. In fact, in 2002, Resident Playwright Alumni Rebecca Gilman’s play
The Glory of Living (developed in part here at Chicago Dramatists) was one of two runners up for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama.
COMMISSIONS
Our playwrights were supported through new play commissions from Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkeley Repertory, New York Theatre Workshop, Honolulu Theater for Youth, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Nebraska Repertory, Black Ensemble Theatre, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, among many others.Our playwrights received countless full productions in Chicago at theatres such as Goodman, Steppenwolf, Northlight, Victory Gardens, Stage Left, Bailiwick, Raven, A Red Orchid, Circle, Curious Theatre Branch, Factory, American Theatre Company, Pegasus Players, Teatro Luna, eta Creative Arts Foundation, Live Bait, Collaboraction, the side project, and many other theatres.
PRODUCTIONS
Our playwrights received hundreds of productions around the nation—at Seattle Repertory, Magic Theatre (San Francisco), Geffen Playhouse (L.A.), Interact Theatre (Philadelphia), Arena Stage (DC), The Kennedy Center (DC), Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Mixed Blood Theatre (Minneapolis), Barter Theatre (Abingdon, VA), The Road Theatre (L.A.); and MCC Theatre, 29th Street Rep, Lincoln Center, The Public Theatre, Harlem Theatre Company, and Ensemble Studio Theatre (all in New York City).
You see why we puff up a bit when we think about what we've accomplished? You should see what we're like when we think about what's coming next.
