Goodman Theatre Celebrates its Immediate Past 2013/2014 “Dream” Season of Diverse Artistry, Including Encore Engagements for Five Productions; Record Annual Fundraising and Sales; and Expanded Civic Engagement

Ruth Ann Gillis named a Life Trustee, four new trustees appointed: Doug Brown/Exelon; Deidre Hogan/American Airlines; Carl Jenkins/BMO Harris; Cathy Kenworthy/Interactive Health

CHICAGO, IL -  At Goodman Theatre’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Women’s Board and Scenemakers Board, the theater’s leadership—Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer—artists, staff and friends celebrated the successful conclusion of the theater’s 89^th year. The nine-play 2013/2014 “DREAM” season included four works authored and five directed by women; three world premieres (two direct from the New Stages new play development program); two Goodman commissions; and a major large-scale musical revival of Brigadoon by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, directed by Rachel Rockwell. Attendance averaged 85% of capacity, with record sales for the 37^th annual production of A Christmas Carol and the three productions in the 350-seat flexible Owen Theatre. Schulfer noted the 2013/2014 Season marked the fifth consecutive year—and the 24^th of the past 28 years—of positive financial results with a record level of annual operating support.

Encore engagements were scheduled for five productions—three from the 2013/2014 Season and two from previous seasons, all with original casts intact. The highly acclaimed world premiere of Smokefall by Noah Haidle, directed by Anne Kauffman and featuring Chicago legend Mike Nussbaum, broke the record of individual tickets sold in the Owen; then, in only the third time in its history, the Goodman moved a play from the smaller theater to the larger theater for more people to experience the show (Smokefall opened the 2014/2015 Season in the 856-seat Albert, where it runs through October 26). Another critical and audience hit world premiere production, Luna Gale by Artistic Associate Rebecca Gilman, directed by Falls and featuring Chicago favorite Mary Beth Fisher, moves to Los Angeles’ Center Theatre Group, where it appears November 23 – December 21. The White Snake by Tony Award-winning Manilow Resident Director Mary Zimmerman travels to China for the Wuzhen Theatre Festival, November 7-9, near Shanghai. In addition, Pedro Páramo, a 2013 collaboration with Cuba’s Teatro Buendía that featured Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez, appeared at the Encuentro Festival in Montréal, Québec (June 21-28) and New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music announced an upcoming engagement of Falls’ towering 2012 revival of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh, starring Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy (February 5 – March 15, 2015).

Off stage, the Goodman reached more than 8,000 Chicago youth and lifelong learners through programs and outreach initiatives under Willa J. Taylor, Director of Education and Community Engagement. Two new groups were added to GeNarrations, a free storytelling workshop for nearly 100 adults aged 55+ that tripled in size since its inception in 2009. The Goodman also worked with formerly incarcerated women in Visible Voices—a project of Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM)—building a performance through a series of workshops with Taylor and teaching artists Bobby Biedrzycki and Vince Pagán. In addition, a partnership with Chicago Public Library yielded the inaugural lecture in the “Chuck Smith Lecture Series on Race, Theater and Culture.” In support of these efforts and more, four special events raised a combined $1.8 million, including: a Fall Benefit for Pullman Porter Blues by Cheryl L. West, directed by Smith; Fame, Fantasy, Food, Adventure Auction; Spring Gala, featuring Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth; and the Scenemakers’ Scene Soiree.

“Our ‘DREAM’ Season was a triumph,” said Board of Trustees Chair Joan Clifford. “Programming of this range, quality and diversity would not be possible without the enormous contributions of our artists—some of the most talented theater professionals in the country—and the generosity of our sponsors, funders, Chicago media, our loyal audiences and staff. I’d like to commend Bob Falls, whose bold artistic vision is truly unparalleled in Chicago, and congratulate Roche Schulfer, a shrewd producer and executive leader whose efforts have ensured the Goodman’s continued fiscal health over his 40-year tenure. Special thanks to Ruth Ann Gillis for her vision and leadership as Chair of the Board of Trustees during the past three remarkable seasons. We are proud to bestow upon her the highest honor a Trustee can receive—that of ‘Life Trustee’—and we will continue the charge as we begin our 2014/2015 90^th Anniversary ‘Season to Celebrate’.”