Chicago’s most-established Not-For-Profit theater celebrates a “Decade On Dearborn”

Goodman Theatre’s Downtown Two-Theater Complex enabled record growth in artistic capability, audience, development and community outreach over the        past 10 years                                                                                                                                                                  

 

Chicago, IL –  When the curtain rises on the opening night performance of Candide, Goodman Theatre launches its 10^th season in the heart of Chicago’s Theatre District established by Mayor Richard M. Daley.

More than two million patrons have experienced 127 productions and presentations from an aesthetic and culturally diverse group of artists and companies—including nearly 30 world premieres, of which 25 were new-work commissions—and programs over the past decade.

The two-theater Goodman complex, under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Falls (“Chicago’s most essential director,” Chicago Tribune) and Executive Director Roche Schulfer, has served 21,500 students through Education and Community Engagement programs; employed 3,000 artists and theater professionals; hosted 25 visiting companies; produced 10 Playwright and International Festivals (made possible only through the addition of the 400-seat flexible Owen Bruner Theatre); and earned a Pulitzer Prize, for Lynn Nottage’s Ruined in 2009. The celebratory season marks the Goodman’s 85^th as Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for-profit producing theater, and opens with the Leonard Bernstein musical Candide, directed and newly adapted by Manilow Resident Director Mary Zimmerman (through October 31). The Goodman is grateful for the generosity of its sponsors; see pages four and five for a complete list of Candide and 10^th Anniversary Season supporters.

“We are extremely proud of and grateful for what we have accomplished since moving into this beautiful venue for live theater,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls and Executive Director Roche Schulfer. “Ten years ago, we welcomed Chicago audiences into a thrilling new era in the Goodman’s long history of artistic excellence and visionary programming. What we have achieved since then could not have been possible without the leadership and generosity of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Albert Ivar Goodman, Edith Marie Appleton, the Board of Trustees, our artists, staff and our wonderful, loyal patrons. We salute our past and look ahead to a bright future in the heart of this great city.”

 

A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT  

2000 – The Goodman relocates from its home of 75 years, adjacent to the Art Institute of Chicago, into a new, state-of-the-art two-theater (Albert Ivar Goodman and Owen Bruner Goodman theaters) complex on Dearborn Street; Inaugural events commence in November, with a November 9 Inaugural Address by Playwright August Wilson; on December 11, Wilson’s King Hedley II opened the new theater.

2001 – The Goodman produces the American premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s linked plays, House and Garden directed by Robert Falls, performed simultaneously by the same cast in both the Albert and Owen Theaters; Falls, who is named “Chicagoan of the Year” by Chicago magazine, takes the helm of his first Rebecca Gilman play, Blue Surge—earning acclaim at the Goodman and subsequently off-Broadway; Associate Director Frank Galati helms the world premiere of The Visit, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb; Associate Producer Steve Scott helms the Chicago premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Wit by Margaret Edson; a new production of A Christmas Carol, built for the Albert Theatre, opens in November, directed by Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez.

2002 – Famed director Harold Prince makes his Goodman Theatre debut with Hollywood Arms by Carrie Hamilton and Carol Burnett. The Goodman produces Falls’ major revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, featuring Brian Dennehy; the world premiere of Galileo Galilei, a new opera by Mary Zimmerman, Philip Glass and Arnold Weinstein.

2003 – Time magazine names the Goodman the “number one regional theater in the U.S.”; Long Day’s Journey Into Night, directed by Robert Falls, receives the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play; Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez inaugurates the Latino Theatre Festival which, over the next decade, will become a biennial event featuring the finest local, national and international Latino theater companies; the Goodman hosts the world premiere of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean and the world premiere of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Bounce.

2004 – The Goodman hosts the Chicago premiere of The Light in the Piazza, which moved to Lincoln Center; produces its first Festival devoted to the works of an important American playwright: Edward Albee [subsequent Playwright Festivals in each year to follow include David Mamet (2006), August Wilson (2007), Horton Foote (2008) and Eugene O’Neill (2009)]; hosts the world premiere of Arthur Miller’s play Finishing the Picture, as well as Regina Taylor’s Crowns, which becomes one of the most produced plays in America, and Resident Director Chuck Smith helms the first all-African American cast of Proof by David Auburn.

2005 – I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright, featuring Jefferson Mays makes its resident theater debut at the Goodman.

2006 – Robert Falls commemorates 20 years as Artistic Director with a ground-breaking interpretation of King Lear.

2007 – The Goodman becomes the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, chronicling the 20^th Century African American experience, and celebrates 30 years of A Christmas Carol by welcoming the millionth ticket buyer.

2008 – Ruined by Lynn Nottage—a Goodman Theatre commission which earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama—makes its world premiere in the Owen Theatre.

2009 – The first-ever Global Exploration of Eugene O’Neill in the 21^st Century—including international, national and local theater companies—takes the stage of both theaters, anchored in the Albert by Falls’ production of Desire Under the Elms, which subsequently moved to Broadway.

2010 – Acclaimed actor and director Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his Chicago directing debut with The Long Red Road by Brett C. Leonard; in July 2010, the Goodman will host the U.S. debut of Teatro Buendía, Cuba’s acclaimed theater company, as part of the 5^th Biennial Latino Theatre Festival.

 

MILESTONES

 

• 90 Awards. In the last decade, Goodman Theatre productions have received nearly 90 awards for theater excellence, including 11 Tony Awards, 12 Drama Desk Awards, 25 Jeff Awards and more than 30 honors—including the 2009 Pulitzer Prize, for the world premiere of Ruined by Lynn Nottage.

 

• 127 productions and presentations, and 19 productions exported. The scale and flexibility of the theater’s two performance spaces (Albert Ivar Theatre and Owen Bruner Theatre) have made it possible for the Goodman to produce productions that can easily move to other venues, including Broadway. Highlights include Desire Under the Elms directed by Robert Falls; Ruined directed by Kate Whoriskey; Shining City directed by Robert Falls; King Lear directed by Robert Falls; Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky directed by Michael Wilson; Bounce directed by Harold Prince; Frank’s Home directed by Robert Falls; Hollywood Arms directed by Harold Prince; Galileo Galilei directed by Mary Zimmerman; The Light in the Piazza directed by Bartlett Sher; and The Amen Corner directed by Chuck Smith. The visibility of Goodman productions on international stages has helped to position Chicago as a world-class theater community.

 ·         Ticket Sales: 1.4 million subscription tickets sold/$40 million in revenue (375% increase in subs sales) and 600,000 single tickets/$20 million in revenue (260% increase in single ticket sales). The Goodman has been a driving force in Chicago’s economy, as the capacity of its new theaters has allowed for dramatic increases in subscription and single ticket sales over sales in the old building. Eighty-five percent of 5-play Subscribers renew on average each year—30% of whom have subscribed for more than 10 years.

• New work: 29 world premieres, 25 new-work commissions. The Goodman is a leader in the development of new work, including: A True History of the Johnstown Flood by Rebecca Gilman (2010); The Long Red Road by Brett C. Leonard (2010); Ruined by Lynn Nottage (2009); Finishing the Picture by Arthur Miller (2004); Electricidad by Luis Alfaro (2004); Galileo Galilei by Mary Zimmerman and Philip Glass (2002); Drowning Crow by Regina Taylor (2001); Blue Surge by Rebecca Gilman (2001). Crucial to the development of new work is the New Stages Series, readings of new plays by up-and-coming and established playwrights. Among the works that began in New Stages is Lynn Nottage‘s Goodman-commissioned, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, Ruined. 
• Education: 21,500 students served. The new facility has enabled the Goodman’s Education and Community Engagement division to serve approximately 30% more students. These programs provide comprehensive outreach efforts, including: the free Student Subscription Series involving 2,700 Chicago public high school students each season and featuring free matinee performances, teacher training (including ten workshops throughout the year), classroom teaching aids including educational production/documentary videos, visits from artists and opportunities for students and parents to attend productions together; the General Theatre Studies Program, a six-week literacy intensive summer program that provides a process oriented introduction to theater for high schoolers; the Cindy Bandle Young Critics theater criticism program for young women; CONTEXT: Discourse and Discussion forums; backstage tours, public lectures and an Internship Program.
• One hundred productions by the Artistic Collective and 10 Festivals. Since the 2000/2001 Season, the Artistic Collective has brought 100 productions to the Goodman’s stages. In addition, Robert Falls has curated festivals around the work of playwrights Eugene O’Neill (2009), Horton Foote (2008), August Wilson (2007), David Mamet (2006) and Edward Albee (2003). Resident Artistic Associate Henry Godinez has curated five biennial Latino Theatre Festivals. In addition to Falls and Godinez, the Artistic Collective includes Artistic Associate Brian Dennehy, Associate Director Frank Galati, Associate Producer Steve Scott, Resident Director Chuck Smith, Artistic Associate Regina Taylor and Manilow Resident Director Mary Zimmerman.
• Institutional growth and job creation. The Goodman has employed more than 2,000 full- and part-time employees to make great theater on a large scale. The Goodman’s ability to fully realize the production goals of its playwrights and directors has led to collaborations with artists of note, including: Actors: L. Scott Caldwell; Victoria Clark; Frances Fisher; Hallie Foote; Scott Glenn; Joe Grifasi; Carla Gugino; Tom Hardy; Stacy Keach; Richard Kind; Stephen Lang; Linda Lavin; Jefferson Mays; John McMartin; Matthew Modine; Kelli O’Hara; Dael Orlandersmith; Annette O’Toole; Jane Powell; Chita Rivera; Pablo Schreiber; Lois Smith; Leslie Uggams; Peter Weller; and Harris Yulin. Playwrights: Edward Albee (Albee Festival); Luis Alfaro; Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton; David Cale; Ana Castillo; Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman; Horton Foote (Foote Festival); Rebecca Gilman; Philip Glass; Adam Guettel; Noah Haidle; Naomi Iizuka; John Kander and Fred Ebb; Craig Lucas; David Mamet (Mamet Festival); Terence McNally; Arthur Miller; Richard Nelson; Lynn Nottage; Stephen Sondheim; John Weidman; August Wilson; and Doug Wright Directors: Phillip Seymour Hoffman; Moises Kaufman; Harold Prince; Anna D. Shapiro; Bartlett Sher; Tommy Tune; and Kate Whoriskey Designers: James Ingalls; Eugene Lee; Santo Loquasto; Walt Spangler; and Michael Philippi.

* Collaborations with Chicago and national theater companies. The Dearborn facility allows the Goodman to offer

performance space to other Chicago theater companies through affordable rentals, co-productions, collaborations and festivals; over the past decade, the Goodman has supported the work of more than 25 theater companies in Chicago alone—three productions per season, on average. Companies include: 16th Street Theater; About Face Theatre; Aguijon Theatre; Albany Park Theatre Project; Babes With Blades; Chicago Children’s Theatre; Child’s Play Touring Theatre; Collaboraction; Congo Square Theatre Company; Emerald City Theatre Company; The Free Associates; The Hypocrites; Lookingglass Theatre Company; Luna Negra Dance Theater; The Neo-Futurists; Next Theatre Company; Noble Fool Theatricals; Rivendell Theatre Ensemble; Schadenfreude; Serendipity Theatre Company; Silk Road Theatre Project; Teatro Luna; Teatro Vista; Urban Theater Company; and Victory Gardens Theater.

• Nearly 60 corporate supporters. Goodman Theatre is fortunate to enjoy the support of nearly 60 companies annually in Chicago and beyond, generating more than a million dollars toward its annual operating budget. Among its major corporate sponsors, the Goodman has been proud to count the following, many of which have been partners for more than 20 years: Abbott; Allstate Insurance Company; American Express; Aon Corporation; Bank of America; The Boeing Company; Exelon Corporation/ComEd; Harris Bank; McDonald’s; Northern Trust; Katten Muchin Rosenman; KPMG; Kraft Foods; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Sara Lee Foundation; Target and UBS. American Airlines has been the longstanding Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

 

• Community Impact: 52 venues. In 2000, the Goodman conceived the Preferred Partner Program in collaboration with the finest Loop businesses to provide Goodman patrons and Subscribers with exclusive discounts. In the last decade, the Preferred Partner Program has featured 52 venues, including 27 restaurants, 14 caterers, 8 hotels, 2 private clubs and 1 linen company. The program averages approximately 12 restaurants and 3 caterers per season.

 Sponsors for Goodman Theatre’s 10^th Anniversary Season and Candide

 

Chase | J.P. Morgan

Lead Corporate Sponsor for Candide and Season Opening Celebration

 

ComEd

Official Lighting Sponsor for Candide 

 

Abbott

Corporate Sponsor Partner for Candide and Season Opening Celebration

 

Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Corporate Sponsor Partner for Candide and Season Opening Celebration Guarantor

 

Harris Bank

Patricia Cox

Albert and Maria Goodman

Vicki and Bill Hood/Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Carol Prins and John Hart

Susan and Bob Wislow

Season Opening Celebration Sponsor Partners

 

 

Allstate Insurance Company

Susan and James Annable/Randy and Lisa White

Joan and Robert Clifford

Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly

Leon and Joy Dreimann/Mr. Michael J. Silverstein

Exelon Corporation

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley M. Freehling

Sondra and Denis Healy/Turtle Wax, Inc.

Susan and Lewis Manilow

Northern Trust

Merle Reskin

William S. Richards, Jr.

Alice and John J. Sabl

Dia S. Edwards S. Weil, Jr.

 

Season Opening Celebration Guarantors

 

10^th Anniversary Individual Support

 

 The Edith-Marie Appleton Foundation/ 

Albert and Maria Goodman

Patricia Cox

Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly

Sondra and Denis Healy/Turtle Wax, Inc.

Alice Rapoport and Michael Sachs, Sg2

Merle Reskin

Season Sponsors

 

Ruth Ann Gillis and Michael McGuinnis

Nancy Lauter McDougal and Alfred L. McDougal

Michael and Kay O’Halleran

Artistic Collective Sponsors

 

10^th Anniversary Institutional Support

 

 

CORPORATE DONORS

 

American Airlines

JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Season Sponsors

 

Allstate Insurance Company

Harris Bank

Northern Trust

Target Corporation

Ovation Sponsors

 

Abbott

ComEd

Katten Muchin Rosenmann LLP

Star Sponsors

 

Aon Corporation

The Boeing Company

Chapman and Cutler LLP

Charter One Bank

Fifth Third Bank

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Macy’s

Mayer Brown LLP

McDonald’s Corporation

Motorola Foundation

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Honorary Sponsors

 

FOUNDATION DONORS

 

The Chicago Community Trust

Edgerton Foundation

Julius N. Frankel Foundation

The Irving Harris Foundation

The Joyce Foundation

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Polk Bros. Foundation

The Shubert Foundation

Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust

Major Foundation Support

 

GOVERNMENT DONOR

 

Illinois Arts Council, a state agency

Major Government Support

 

About Goodman Theatre

 

Goodman Theatre has been internationally recognized for its artists, productions and programs since its founding in 1925. Celebrating 10 years in the North Loop Theatre District, Goodman Theatre is a major cultural, educational and economic pillar in Chicago. Named the nation’s “Best Regional Theatre” by Time magazine, Goodman Theatre has garnered hundreds of awards for artistic achievement and community engagement, including numerous Tony Awards and two Pulitzer Prizes. Under the leadership of artistic director Robert Falls and executive director Roche Schulfer,

Goodman Theatre’s priorities include new plays, re-imagined classic productions, culturally specific work and musical theater. Over the past thirty years, the Goodman has produced more than 100 world or American premieres. Robert Falls’ contemporary versions Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night and King Lear have been celebrated nationally and internationally, along with his artistic collaboration with actor Brian Dennehy. Cultural diversity stands at the forefront of the Goodman’s mission; over the past two decades, one-third of Goodman productions have featured artists of color (including 21 world premieres) and the Goodman was the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s 20^th Century Cycle. Since 2003, the Latino Theatre Festival has been a biennial celebration of Latin theater companies from Chicago and around the globe. Over the past two decades, the Goodman has produced 25 musical theater works, including 10 world premieres. Each year Goodman’s numerous education and community engagement programs, including the highly praised Student Subscription Series, serve several thousand Chicago Public High School students. In addition, for 33 years the annual holiday tradition of A Christmas Carol has led to the creation of a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. Goodman Theatre’s leadership includes the distinguished members of the Artistic Collective: Brian Dennehy, Frank Galati, Henry Godinez, Steve Scott, Chuck Smith, and Regina Taylor. The chairman of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees is Patricia Cox and Karen Pigott is President of the Women’s Board. American Airlines is the Exclusive Airline of Goodman Theatre.

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