Variety: 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.
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Prior to reading this article, I actually didn’t know that Chicago was such an important city for entertainment. I guess everyone just thinks about New York and Los Angeles when talking about this industry, in particular film and television. After reading this article, I’m truly shocked by how developed and tight-knit the network is in Chicago. And I don’t just mean the network between people, but it’s almost as if the entire city has its own supply chain: there are steady suppliers, demanding shops, and a constant requirement for more things. The article talks about this phenomenon in detail with costumes, but I’m sure it’s the same for scenery, lighting, sound and all other departments too. I have unfortunately never been to Chicago, but now that I know it’s such a major city for theatre, I’m interested in visiting and watching a couple of shows there. Hopefully, I get to visit in the near future!
I had known that Chicago was a big theatre city but I did not know how big I guess. I had no idea that there were over 200 theaters in Chicago, that is a lot more theaters than I thought there were not going to lie. I did know that there were a bunch of really small theaters though. I also knew that the Second City improv troupe is located there and that many Saturday Night Live cast members have passed through that troupe. I think it is really interesting that so many people are unaware of how big Chicago is when it comes to theatre, film, and television. Chicago has just always been stuck in my head as a big theatre town. Plus more and more film and television has been filmed there that it makes sense that it is such a big town in all of those industries.
It wasn’t until I was applying to colleges that I realized just how huge of a theatre city Chicago is! I was even so tempted to go to a school in Chicago because I would be able to see so many new works that I know would have a future. I even think that Chicago is definitely second to New York in terms of theatre. For film, it’s up there with New York, Los Angeles, and now, Atlanta. At some point in my career (maybe after graduation?) I want to work in Chicago. It’s the perfect place to get a start in this industry. There’s a ton of work available in Chicago and I know the theatre community is humungous and I would love to be in a large community like that, not to mention that Chicago is just an awesome city in general. It’s a great place to learn and work!
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